End of Advent; Christmas Eve

I've had a blessed Advent: last week, I made a five-day silent retreat in Bowral, N.S.W., run by two priests from the Abbey of St Joseph de Clairval in Flavigny. What a marvel that such an orthodox Benedictine monastery flourishes, and has as its apostolate the giving of a condensed form of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius to men, in conformity to the spirit of its founder and first abbot, God rest him, who was converted after making such a retreat in 1940, and in due course became a monk after the death of his wife, with the resolve to give to others what had so changed him. It was easily the best retreat I have ever done, really brilliant, and, I hope, marks a milestone in my spiritual life. I would heartily recommend these retreats to one and all.

Either side of the retreat, I spent the weekend in Sydney, and went to High Mass at Maternal Heart, Lewisham. Since my return home, I've prepared for Christmas in the commercial sense, by buying gifts for family and friends. Tonight, just after sunset, Mass at St Canice-in-the-fields, Glengarry, then Midnight Mass at Carmel; tomorrow morning, back to Carmel for the Day Mass.

My prayer is for all readers and friends to receive every holy blessing from above, with hearts opened wide to Christ Whose glorious Nativity in the flesh we celebrate on this most holy feast.

End of Advent

Well, the Advent Office ended with None, and, all shopping having been done, all that remains is to while away the evening, wrap the last few prezzies, watch the carols from St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on TV, and (at sunset, about 9pm) pray First Vespers of Christmas.

Then, perhaps a nap till I have to drive over to Carmel for the Midnight Mass...

Oh, one last Advent query: How many of you, dear readers, abstain from flesh meat on Christmas Eve?  (We always eat fish for dinner to-day as a family tradition of forgotten origin - it wasn't till I learnt about the old fasting rules that I realized this must be a relic somehow preserved of the former custom.)

Christmas Eve: Fish Dish

We have a tradition in our family, that on Christmas Eve we eat fish – strange, because, tho' very Catholic to abstain from flesh before the feast, the side of the family the custom comes from was not Catholic.

Mum's cooking is always best.

In individual ramekins, place some good fish, sprinkled with almonds  – and doused in cream.  Season with salt and lots of pepper; perhaps cover with breadcrumbs; bake; serve piping hot.  This year, we ate it with new potatoes.