CHRISTMAS TRIDUUM

Christmas Triduum

It is defined as a three-day period of prayer, usually in preparation for an important feast or in celebration of that feast. It is strongly recommended that each family should celebrate the Christmas Triduum in celebration of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This will be an occasion for family bonding and for love to flourish.

Specific Objectives & Description of Activities

Spiritual Renewal and Reinvigoration – fully manifested in our personal prayers, confessions and participation in Holy Masses as well as during the family prayers (Holy Rosary and Holy Bible Sharing)

Retrospecting and Resolutions – an opportunity for reflections, reality checking and determination of life's resolutions and plans esp for the coming 2018.

Family Bonding – family will get together, share stories, play the piano or organ, sing together and have meals on the table, and share them together.

The bottom line is as a family, we will welcome Jesus with open arms, and embrace Him with so much holiness and love, so that His Blessings and Graces will be showered upon all of us and into our Home.

We will consecrate the Family and our Home to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

All throughout, let us pray that St. Pio and St. Philomena and all the Holy Archangels and Holy Angels, as well as the Holy Saints will be with us. May the Holy Souls in Purgatory likewise pray for all of us.

Among the activities or rules that may be adopted are:

• Clean-up areas of the house / in relation with Caritas
(this means we will set aside good items which could be donated)
• Prepare Home for Christmas
• Confessions and Holy Communion
• Sort and Arrange personal belongings
• Focus on the Triduum and refrain from working on office and school tasks
• No gadgets (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc)
• Everyone shall follow a prescribed schedule for daily activities
(Each day must start at 6:00AM and end at 10:00PM
• Make the Holy Bible accessible to all at anytime
• Always carry and pray the Holy Rosary

In The Fullness of Time

Have you prayed today? What did you pray for? Oh yes, of course, the usual concerns in life - health, peace, prosperity and happiness. Did you pray for someone? Your spouse, family, community, country or the world? But why? Hoping that God by His might and power will help you in your needs and concerns? That He will adjust the clock of time back to the past so you can start all over again? That He will make you richer, healthier and better off than before? Perfect prayers! Huh? Well, at least you want to effect change and that you have recognized the supremacy of God in your life. At least you know that you can't do it by your own human efforts and only God can make it happen. At least you know that somehow you've made mistakes, you've had your shortcomings and weaknesses that now you need God.

But what happens if you do not get what you want? If you did not received what you prayed for? If you are faced with far more serious needs and concerns now without the benefit of addressing the previous ones? If the world seems to be against you instead of being with you? Will you be still? Pray some more? Will your faith be stronger?

Stressed out? Can't blame you. Your imagination has reached the vast space of uncertainty and insecurity. Suddenly you tend to question your existence? Worst, you tend to question God. The biggest mistake that you will make in life is when you fall into this trap leading to a ravine of faithlessness and spiritual rebellion.

Don't.

Instead, be stronger than you think you are. Wear God's Armor and be protected. Fight a good fight of faith. Remember, it is clear that your mind and your heart have become the battleground. Do not succumb to hopelessness and despair. Be persistent and determined to reach the goal that you've prayed for.

Back to basics. Plan. Do a soul searching reality checking. List down your strengths and weaknesses. Improve on your strengths. Address your weakness. Study carefully how you can fully utilize what you have at the moment. Accept that you are not alone. Seek the help of people close to you - your family. Enumerate your options, compare them and find out which among them has the highest rate of success with the lowest chance of being a failure. Pray over them and then decide. Act on what you've decided on.

At this point, as you go through the process of achieving your goal, have faith that you've reach the fullness of time because at the end of the tunnel, you can confidently declare that you've done your best. Whatever may be the result, learn to accept God's Will. In doing so, always live a "Life for God and Country".

Congratulations and God Bless!

Blessings

You can't count your blessings for they are just too many, too heavenly that it is impossible to quantify. Instead, multiply the good deeds that you can do and share with others. If you can't, do your best to catch up with the enormous blessings that you have received from God.

Prayer for Intercession of St Joseph

O Joseph,
virgin-father of Jesus,
most pure Spouse of the Virgin Mary,
pray every day for us to the same Jesus,
the Son of God,
that we,
being defended by the power of His grace
and striving dutifully in life,
may be crowned by Him
at the Hour of death. Amen.