Christmas Daybook, 3: mulled wine for St. John's Feast Day
Welcome to my Christmas daybook for these 12 days of celebrating. We'll be spending Christmastide with some favorite short films and video clips. Join me, won't you?
(source)
Cranberry Mulled Cider via Tiger In A Jar
The third day of Christmas is also the feast day of Saint John the Apostle. Throughout church history, Christians have celebrated this feast day with mulled wine.
St. John the Apostle, is the disciple "whom Jesus loved". It is a custom in the old countries to drink of "St. John's Love". The Church provided a special blessing of wine in honor of the Saint. According to legend St. John drank a glass of poisoned wine without suffering harm because he had blessed it before he drank. The wine is also a symbol of the great love of Christ that filled St. John's heart with loyalty, courage and enthusiasm for his Master; he alone of all the apostles was not afraid to stay close to Our Lord during the Passion and Crucifixion.
Here's a simple recipe for St. John's Love (mulled wine) from a liturgical resource. Or you can make a non-alcoholic version with the cranberry cider recipe in the video above. (I've written out the recipe in this old post.)
For what it's worth, our family likes to add a little bourbon to our glasses of hot cider. As our children have become adults, this has become a favorite family tradition throughout the 12 days of Christmas!
Today's readings: John by Malcolm Guite for the Feast Day of Saint John the Apostle
May I suggest, if not today then sometime within the new year, a reading of the entire book of John in one (or two) sittings? I had the opportunity to do that this Advent and it was deeply meaningful.
Prayer for today:
“Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Make time to stay home
{an excerpt from my post 12 Ways To Savor the 12 Days of Christmas}
Read, watch movies, play games, take naps, take walks in the neighborhood. In our house, we're especially fond of the tradition of wearing pajamas all day as often as possible during Christmas.
(read more here)
(See all Christmas Daybook posts from 2016 here.)