Meditation

Join us in a daily meditation during the Twelve Days of Christmas to celebrate the Fruits of the Child born for us, the Son given to us. Click To Tweet

A Christmas Meditation

It is a great blessing of our Holy Catholic Faith that just when the rest of the world is wrapping up its Christmas celebrations, we are moving into full gear! So earth-shattering is the birth of this Child that beginning on Christmas Eve, the liturgy of the Church celebrates it for an Octave and a Season! We have received so many wonderful traditions celebrating the Birth of Jesus from our ancestors in the faith and one of them is the Twelve Days of Christmas.

We at Sycamore Trust invite you and your family to prayerfully join us for these Twelve Days as we contemplate the Birth of the Messiah in light of the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Celebrating the Nativity of the Father’s Son, who was conceived in the womb of His Immaculate Mother by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, will keep the grace of this event ever before our eyes and in our hearts.

Introduction by Father John J. Raphael, ’89

 You may sign up to receive our daily meditations by email or text or download a PDF copy at the buttons below. 

Daily Meditations

Charity, December 25

May the Love we celebrate on Christmas Day make our hearts overflow with love for God and for our neighbor every day so that everyone we meet will encounter the Christ Child dwelling within us and experience the power of His love.

Joy, December 26

May the gift of the Savior’s birth fill us with a joy that overwhelms the sorrows of this life and, overflowing to our neighbor, makes each of us tangible signs of the Eternal Joy promised to all who receive Him.

Peace, December 27

May the Peace of Christmas reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our nation and in our world so that the reign of the Prince of Peace may bring justice and solace to all.

Patience, December 28

May we have the patience of Mary who awaited the Lord’s birth with serenity of heart as we wait on the Lord’s triumphant return in Glory.

Kindness, December 29

May our proclamation of the Savior’s birth be accompanied with a kindness that draws even the most hardened hearts from the darkness of sin to the warmth of the Savior’s crib.

Goodness, December 30

May our gratitude for the gift of Christmas move us to acts of goodness each and every day that bring comfort and relief to our brothers and sisters in need.

Generosity, December 31

May the gift of the Messiah’s birth inspire us to a lavish sharing with others—especially those in need—out of the bounty we have received from God, who will never be outdone in generosity.

Gentleness, January 1

May our celebration of the Savior’s birth exhibit the same quality of heart as His own—meek and gentle—so that the weak and broken, the wounded and lonely may not be afraid to find in us companions on the journey of faith.

Faithfulness, January 2

May Christmas be a time for us to renew our fidelity to the revelation of God’s goodness and his grace, and to the One whose birth we celebrate, whose Truth alone can set us free.

Modesty, January 3

May the poverty and simplicity of Bethlehem’s cave move us to clothe ourselves with virtue within and to humbly reflect that virtue in all that we do and say.

Self-Control January 4

May the example of the Holy Family and the hardships they endured move us to a disposition of soul that will enable us to respond to all people and circumstances with internal discipline and equanimity of spirit.

Chastity, January 5

May the chaste love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph inspire each of us during this Christmas Season and throughout the year to seek the Purity of Heart that makes us blessed and that will enable us to see the Face of God.

Epiphany, January 6

As the Wise Men sought Him and brought the Christ Child gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; may we, too, follow the Star that leads us to the Savior, and offer Him our treasure, our worship and our suffering; so that having been drawn up into the mystery of His Incarnation as we celebrate His birth, we may be united to him in His death and resurrection, and rejoice with Him forever in heaven, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever Amen.


Download a PDF of Our Christmas Meditation

Click the image to download a PDF

Sycamore Trust Apostolate

With our 2017 Annual Breakfast there was an upwelling of interest to establish an Apostolate within the Sycamore Trust community to encourage each other to pray collectively for the faithful and fruitful success of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. This resulted in an extremely popular Novena which concluded on the first day of classes during the 2017-2018 academic year and has become a much anticipated annual event for us and for many of our supporters.

By signing up for our Twelve Days of Christmas, you have joined our Apostolate. There is no requirement to do more. However, we invite you to keep Notre Dame in your daily prayers and to participate when possible in other opportunities for collective prayer among Sycamore Trust supporters — such as our annual Novena for Catholic higher education (beginning each year on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary). 

To assist and guide us in our daily effort, Father John J. Raphael, ’89, has composed a Prayer for Notre Dame which may be downloaded here. Your participation is very much appreciated and very much needed. We are unlikely to have a final victory without prayer.

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