Three Kings

I love Christmas pageants. Our L'Arche Edmonton pageant this week was a delight, with music, joy, and the excitement of the community surrounding a beautiful holy family embracing baby Jesus, whose pacifier saved the day.

In keeping with my theme this week of "giving with the original Christmas spirit," here's a lovely video made by the Cape Breton (Nova Scotia, Canada) L'Arche community, who performed an adapted version of Three Kings by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I love the size differential between the three kings; the dance of the star; and King Herod's theme music, wa wa waaa. The performance of the carol, We Three Kings, is not to be missed... and the words of the final song brought tears to my eyes. Enjoy!

A Special Invitation

I'd like to invite you to the place where Christmas begins for me. I know, carols have been playing on some radio stations for weeks already, Halloween decorations were replaced with Christmas stuff on November 1st, and the stores have been ready for ages...

But for me, the Christmas begins with the L'Arche Edmonton Annual Christmas Pageant, an evening like no other. Come join us on December 12, 7 p.m. at St Thomas D'Aquin Church, 8410, 89 Street. An international group composed of many of the L'Arche community's musicians lead a carol service as the Christmas story is enacted by people with and without disabilities, in colourful costumes and with great joy and excitement that sometimes erupts in dancing. I think even Ebeneezer Scrooge would find it impossible to walk away saying, "Bah, humbug." The evening usually includes an international version of Silent Night, sung in the original German, and all the languages represented by the L'Arche community -- I think they may number 14 this year -- and will conclude with refreshments and our annual Craft Sale. If you would like to bring donations for the Edmonton Food Bank, we'll be happy to receive them.

What I really love about the L'Arche Pageant is that, to me, it is the clearest example of what Jesus came to do. He was all about love and inclusion, forgiveness and friendship, celebration and gratitude. Christian churches mean well with their solemn Christmas services, but somehow, the way the L'Arche community celebrates seems more in line with the kind of joy and togetherness that Jesus wanted for all of us. Watching how our people with and without disabilities interact and care for one another in the midst of all the fun and celebration reminds me that Christmas is all about being one big human family, a family of people who love each other just as we are.

I invite you to come and meet the L'Arche community, and to celebrate with us. You won't be sorry that you did, I promise!

Merry Christmas!

I can't resist sharing this one! From St. Paul's Arts and Kids in New Zealand...

And here's my favourite Christmas hymn. The words are fantastic; thank you, Marty Haugen! You are a musician and poet extraordinaire. Our family music group sang it at Christ-mass last night:

Awake! Awake and greet the new morn,

For angels herald its dawning,

Sing out your joy, for now he is born,

Behold! The child of our longing.

Come as a baby weak and poor,

To bring all hearts together,

He opens wide the heavenly door

And lives now inside us forever.

To us, to all in sorrow and fear,

Emmanuel comes a-singing,

His humble song is quiet and near,

Yet fills the earth with its ringing;

Music to heal the broken soul

And hymns of loving kindness,

The thunder of his anthems roll

To shatter all hatred and blindness.

In darkest night his coming shall be,

When all the world is despairing,

As morning light so quiet and free,

So warm and gentle and caring.

Then shall the mute break forth in song,

The lame shall leap in wonder,

The week be raised above the strong,

And weapons be broken asunder.

Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,

Though dark the winter and cheerless,

The rising sun shall crown you with light,

Be strong and loving and fearless:

Love be our song and love our prayer,

And love, our endless story;

May God fill ev'ry day we share,

And bring us at last into glory.

(CBW #303, Awake! Awake and Greet the New Morn, (1983) Text and Tune by Marty Haugen) 

He came to bring us peace and joy, not the kind you see on greeting cards,
but a deeper awareness of ordinary, daily, simple peace and joy
 in the little things of life.

May that peace and joy be with you this holy season and always!

 With love, Maria

Of Christmas pageants and good, good news

On Monday evening, most of my family and a few friends enjoyed the L'Arche Edmonton Annual Christmas Pageant. For those who were unable to join us, here's the run-down: it was a wonderful celebration featuring many amazing musicians; a fantastic choir who had everyone in the church singing too; a gentle Mary and a cowboy-hatted Joseph who were extremely attentive to a serene six-month-old baby Jesus as he watched everything with shining eyes; radiant angels in bright white Christmas lights; a rag-tag band of shepherds who danced with excitement; and majestic magi -- one on wheels. I think it's safe to say that the Spirit of Christmas took hold of everyone in the building.

As I watched the holy family cuddle together under the star, I couldn't help but feel that everyone present was seeing a more realistic portrayal of Christmas than any you see on Christmas cards or in movies. Jesus came in a simple, humble way to spend his life with simple, humble people, and to call us all to simplicity and humility in our relationships with each other and with God.

In L’Arche, God’s love and acceptance of everyone -- with and without disabilities -- makes Jesus’ presence real, and not just at Christmas.

A simple Christmas pageant

In addition to finding ways to simplify our Christmas giving, our family also tries to take a few opportunities to remember "the reason for the season." One of my favourite events in this regard is the annual L'Arche Christmas pageant. Now that I work for L'Arche, I have all the dope on what's happening this year because I spent a good part of Monday spreading the word to various media outlets.

For those who have never attended a L'Arche pageant, it's an experience like no other. The story in the gospel of Luke is re-enacted by our community, with the starring roles of Mary and Joseph often played by our people with disabilities, assisted by people without disabilities. Last year, "Mary" had a "nursemaid" (our board chair) to help her with "baby Jesus" (our board chair's infant daughter). Naturally, the baby was more taken with her "nursemaid" than with being Mary's "son," so Mary gave up and wandered off stage for a time and had to be coaxed back to finish the play. Shepherds, angels and wise men all played their parts as expected, some from wheel chairs. The evening included a very special tradition -- the singing of Silent Night in all the languages represented in our community. Last year, there were verses sung in 22 languages; I'm not sure how many there will be this year.

So if you're in the neighbourhood, and want to enjoy hearing a simple and beautiful retelling of the ancient story that is soon to be celebrated by Christians the world over, you're invited. This year's Christmas pageant will be held at St. Thomas D'Aquin Church, 8410 89th Street, Edmonton, at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 13th. As the L'Arche Edmonton Mandate says, "We want to tell people about L'Arche. We want to have more friends." So feel free to bring your friends, and perhaps a donation for the Food Bank, if you like. We look forward to seeing you!