December 2012 - St Faith's home page

He will come like dark.One evening when the bursting redDecember sun draws up the sheetand penny-masks its eye to yieldthe star-snowed fields of sky.He will come, will comewill come like crying in the night,like blood, like breaking,as the earth writhes to toss him free.He will come like child.Rowan WilliamsAdvent WreathThe pale sun, gliding low,refuses to rise into leadengrey skies, so bleak nightinters our sinful souls.Oh! break out the candlesand place them around!See how their firesconsume the dark ground.Bouquet of flame!devour our sins,and ignite winter’s nightin holy conflagration.Steven FederleChrist’s MassIt isn’t Christ who's been left out of Christmas;It is we who left His season long ago.We traded Him, with shepherds at His manger,For tinsel, lighted trees, and mistletoe.We traded Advent’s quiet preparationFor frantic shopping trips to all the stores;We let our gifts and giving come between usAnd that Blessed Gift who cleanses and restores.We took a grand old saint, removed his mitre,15