I never heard of that, good idea though.

Sounds like a lovely idea. During our regular Sunday mass, the priest says the mass intentions, and asks God to grant any requests made in our hearts. I always pray for good health for myself and DH.

Old Joyful, I just sent a copy of your post to my cousin back east. He works in a Program House for people fighting drug and/or alcohol addictions. He himself is a 15-year-recovering alcoholic and has experienced first-hand what that can do to a person's life.

I know he will be using this idea, along with the Churches and groups he attends, to help others.

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful idea.

((((Ed))))

Yes. I think ours was last night while the rest of us were at the basketball game.

Here's a bump for folk who may not have seen it on the first go-round.

I am thankful that God can offer help to foks in a variety of circumstances, but often it takes a human intermediary to help make it happen.

The thing that I thought mainly helpful about this was that, rather than a leader speaking of it from on high, that we sat in a circle and the worshippers took an active part, including being able to ask for having their specific issues to be prayed about as we prepared to pray.

And at the end, the leader moved to the person beside her in the circle, touched elbows (rather than hands, due to the flu concerns), or held folded hands ahead of one in an attitude of prayer, and bowed and offered the Peace of Christ to that person, then moved to the next person and as she moved to the third person, the first person followed her and offered the Peace to the person beside him/her, and we did that all around the circle.

May God's grace meet whatever hurts, pains and sadness that may be causing difficulty in your life, at this mainly celebratory season.

ole joyful

P.S. Aren't Christians an accomplished bunch of con artists, though ...

... Jesus has the birthday ...

... but we get the gifts!

Doesn't that take the cake as a con job, don't you think?

o j

Blue Christmas sounds like a very helpful, compassionate tradition.

We have something similar, but don't call it Blue Christmas. That is a very good name for it though, and I will suggest it! We end our service with a collection of canned goods for the food pantry on the premise that giving something to someone else in need, eases your own burden! It works too!
Thanks for posting Joyful Guy and blessings and hugs to you!!

When I buy food for $1.00 in the store to put into the gift-for-the-needy box at the store, the firehall or my church to give through an agency to the needy, perhaps the goods that I buy is what the agency really wants, perhaps they'd prefer some other things.

The store owner is happy, because he sold food at retail that I wasn't about to buy for myself.

Some food stores allow me seasonally to add an amount that I choose to my food bill, to buy a meal for about $3.00 for a needy person or family.

That money goes to the agency that gives out the food and they can buy whatever they feel is most needed.

And they buy it at wholesale price - getting that $1.00's worth of food for, say, 80 cents or so.

But who gets the tax deduction for a charitable gift? The store, of course!

However - if I visit the Food Bank and write a cheque for that 80 cents, they use it to buy the food that they want, that would have cost me $1.00 at the store ... and they give me a receipt for 80 cents, my gift to a charity.

They buy the goods that they need, for a price of the 80 cents.

When I calculate my income tax, I get a tax credit at low rate for my first $200. of such annual contributions, federally and provincially.

But for each dollar of contribution above that $200. annual rate, I deduct at the top rate, both federally and provincially.

That means that I was able to get $1.00's worth of food for a hungry person at an actual after-tax cost to me of about 50 - 60 cents.

That seems to me to be a wiser use of money than for me to buy the goods for charity at retail price in the store.

Good wishes for a happy, fruitful, blessed Christmas for each of you for whom it is meaningful.

ole joyful