And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David). To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.– Luke 2:4-14 KJV
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Merry Christmas everyone! Have a Joyeux Noel, a Feliz Navidad, a Fröhliche Weihnachten...well, whatever language you choose, enjoy the spirit of the season.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us
to light the lights of Chanukkah. (Amen)
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time
UPDATE -
Oh, I forgot, for the rest of us (or at least Tryanmax), there's Festivus
And now a word from Charles Dickens - God [substitute deity of your choice] Bless Us One And All!
12 comments:
Thanks Bev! Great post. I love this time of year and I am always happy for reminders of why we celebrate, no matter what our reasoning.
BTW, the Santa tracker is really cool! :D
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannekah, Happy New Year Bev and Andrew. And I don't forget (although I sorely miss) Lawhawk! I have always enjoyed our discussions and cyber relationship as a place to find some rationale on-line discussion of things both sacred and profane
And a Happy Festivus for the rest of us!
Whoever fixed the formatting, I am forever in you debt...;-)
Thanks Bev!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannekah to all you guys n' gals!
Very nice post, Bev. Whenever I read those verses in Luke I can't help but think of a Charlie Brown Christmas. I watched it every year when I was growing up and continue to watch it now with my own kids.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannekah to everyone in Commentaramaland!!
In keeping faith with my eclectic past; I'm taking my Methodist brother, some Buddhist friends from Thailand and an elderly couple we have more or less adopted to Christmas Mass and then to our house for pizza, and then on Christmas Day they are all invited back for the afternoon. Spread the joy.
TJ - I love the Charlie Brown Christmas version! And at the time it first aired, no one seemed to be upset about its overtly religious theme. But it is wonderful how it has endured as a fan favorite to be passed on to the next generation.
Same to you Ben! Have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!
Critch - How wonderful that you are really in the true spirit of Christmas - Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men!
TennJed - Thank you. And that is why I value this place too. It is a place to have a rationale, respectful (mostly) discussion with lots of seriousness and laughs. And the cyber-friends from all over the country is so cool! We have eyes everywhere. bwaaaa-haaaaa!
And yes, how I miss LawHawk.
Bev, You're welcome on the formatting. Thanks for the great reminder of what the season is really about!
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