Alumni Mothers Club
message from the amc president 2023-2024
Season’s Greetings and Merry Christmas!
Let me tell you a story, once upon a Christmas…St. Francis of Assisi created the Christmas Creche, the precious decoration in our homes that we call “The Nativity.”
According to St. Bonaventure, for the Midnight Mass in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi, sought permission from Pope Honorious III to do something “for the kindling of devotion” to the birth of Christ. As part of his preparations, Francis “made ready a manger, and bade hay, together with an ox and an ass,” in the small Italian town of Greccio. One witness among the crowd that gathered for this event reported that Francis included a carved doll which cried tears of joy and “seemed to be awakened from sleep when the blessed Father Francis embraced Him in both arms.” This miracle of the crying doll moved all who were present, Bonaventure writes. But Francis made another miracle happen, too: The hay that the child lay in healed sick animals and protected people from disease. When St. Francis was asked why he wanted to do this, he replied “I want to do something that will recall the memory of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by.”
Ignatius of Loyola encourages the practice of what he calls ‘the application of the senses.’ Ignatius takes the Nativity as a model for his method of imaginative contemplation. We are encouraged, after a consideration of the mystery, to set the scene and to enter imaginatively into it, to be fully present there in order to ‘see’ what is happening: the circumstances, the persons, the actions. Ignatius then suggests “listening” to the voices and sounds, smelling and tasting the ‘infinite fragrance and sweetness’ of The Divinity. Finally, Ignatius invites us to apply the sense of touch, ‘by embracing or kissing the place where the persons stand or are seated’ in the Nativity. The sights, sounds, and aromas of Christmas transcend us into childhood memories and family gatherings of the past. The timeless music invokes visions of Heaven, angels, and the beloved Nativity. Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace has been born for our salvation. May God bless us during this holiday tide, and may we show our devotion and gratitude for His Mercy, and for sending His Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
AMC aims to keep you connected and informed. Here are some juicy little bits you may be interested:
- January, 2024CASHBAH 2024 Gift Gathering will begin, and CASHBAH would love the Alumni Moms’ support. The link to donate from their Amazon Wishlist will be available in January. As always, thank you for your generous and heartfelt support.
- Infused Culinary Oils, Flavored Vinegars, Liqueurs, and Spirits Tasting - Thursday, January 18
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. - Vom Fass. Sign up HERE and pay $10 per person at the event
Need the perfect fig and rosemary dressing for your salad? Taste and savor to find the right balance. Searching for a bright and smooth olive oil, find your match and they will bottle it for you. Sample liquers, whiskey and more at this gem of a store in Maplewood.Visit their website to see all the flavors they offer: https://www.vomfassusa.com/
All of us from the Alumni Mothers Club board wish you a glorious and peaceful Christmas season. Take good care, and we will see you in the New Year! God bless us, everyone!
Lolly Frillman
SLUH Alumni Mothers Club President
alumnimoms@sluh.org
Lucas ‘20
View the current Calendar of Events for 2023-24 HERE.