The History
of
The 12 days of Christmas is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi — the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day).
The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.
The “True Love” one hears in the song is not a smitten boy or girlfriend but Jesus Christ, because truly Love was born on Christmas Day. The partridge in the pear tree also represents Him because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators.
According to Ann Ball in her book, Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals:
The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
The three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.
The four calling birds were the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. read more from P6 of this week’s Parish Bulletin>>>>>
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SSAP Pre-Cana
REGISTER HERE FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED SEMINAR
Santuario de San Antonio Parish Pre-Cana program, conducted by its Ministry of Family and Life are scheduled every 1st Saturday of the month. Register online, here, or with Susan at the Parish Office, 843-8830 to 31 #4 and provide your preferred schedule, individual full names, nicknames, contact numbers and email addresses. If your wedding is not going to be held at SSAP, pls. seek permission from the parish of your wedding venue before signing up for SSAP Pre-Cana.
Read an article from one of the engaged couples>>>>>
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OVERSEAS INQUIRIES/RESERVATIONS:
Please read through the information provided in our Parish Services page before sending your inquiries to the following individuals:
For WEDDING & CRYPT services c/o Susan – redsky5455@yahoo.com
For FUNERAL CHAPEL & PARISH CENTER services c/o Alice – adjosh911@yahoo.com.ph
For BAPTISM services – ssap_info@yahoo.com
For Parish Bulletin Ads: Edna – ssappb@yahoo.com
