woohoo!

Me, at a friend's Christmas dinner the other day. (Does the exhaustion show?!)


Yahoooooooooo!!!

I HAVE FINISHED FOR 2 GLORIOUS WEEKS OF HOLIDAY! YEEEEYYY!!


I somehow managed to drag myself in to every single lecture from 9am - 5pm every day this week (as opposed to some 50% of my year group who just didn't bother turning up! pffff!)

and now I am utterly exhausted but looking forward to getting some serious sleeping done during the next two weeks (...but not tomorrow because I have rowing and major Christmas shopping to do...and not on Sunday because we have to get up early to go to Mass...and not on Monday because that is Christmas and we have to get up early to go to Mass)....I'll sleep at some point!

A festive skeleton in our Medical School library (he has mistletoe between his teeth in case it's not clear what that green stuff is!)!

As well as it being my last week of term, another great thing about this week was that my parish Church has put all their daily Masses to the evening so that lots of people can go after work (usually only 2 daily Masses per week are in the evening, the rest of then are in the morning).

I am so thankful our Priest has done this because it's been SUCH a blessing to participate in Mass and follow the liturgy and readings as we lead up to Christmas!

This week the Gospel readings have been on the annunciation, where Angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will conceive a son, and then we had the Angel appearing to Joseph in a dream telling him not to divorce pregnant Mary, and then about the Angel appearing to Zachariah in the temple and telling him that Elizabeth will conceive a baby (John the Baptist), and then Mary & Joseph's visit to Elizabeth, when sweet baby John leaps for joy in Elizabeth's womb when unborn baby Jesus is near!
and today we had Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and a wonderful meditation from our Priest on the humility and beauty of Mary.

and then after daily Mass this week we've also been able to go to our usual Rosary-with-Eucharistic-adoration prayer group, which has also been such a source of grace.

I feel so excited about Jesus's birth, and, thanks to the Mass and liturgy, like I am approaching it with Mary & St. Joseph & the rest of the Church.

Isn't being Catholic like, THE BESTEST THING IN THE WORLD?!!

I will def be posting before Monday, but in case you don't check out my blog before then, I hope you have a very special, happy and blessed Christmas!

Don't forget about the reason for all the celebrations!

God Bless

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Luke 1:46-55:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

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