Tag: Christmas
Our deepest longings to be seen and loved
God with us is not some abstract theological theory, but a lived experience if we do not fear the process needed in order for that to become a reality The season of Advent brings to the fore the importance of waiting, patience and endurance. We all have rites of passage in our lives, some we… Read More ›
The “O” Antiphons
The Roman Church has been singing the “O” Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as… Read More ›
Isaiah: The Prophet of Christmas
More than any other, Isaiah is the prophet of Christmas. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, God… Read More ›
Christians Now Outnumber Communists in China
Breitbart News:Though the Chinese Communist Party is the largest explicitly atheist organization in the world, with 85 million official members, it is now overshadowed by an estimated 100 million Christians in China. It is no wonder Beijing is nervous and authorities are cracking down on Christian groups. Christianity is growing so fast in China that… Read More ›
Americans More Comfortable With Profanity Than Christ
A cartoon has circulated depicting three children sitting outside their school principal’s office. The first child says, “I said the ‘S-H’ word.” The second, “I said the ‘F’ word.” And then the third, “I said ‘Christmas.’” While some may sigh and shake their heads at this cartoon, the reality is even worse, says religion and… Read More ›
Taking Christ out of Christmas
So much for taking Christ out of Christmas. New efforts propose the more radical agenda of taking him out of Christianity altogether. Every year, it seems, an attempt is made, usually around the Christian holidays, to debunk some aspect of Christian belief— usually involving the Virgin birth, or Jesus’ resurrection, or his relationship with women…. Read More ›
Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Christmas)
During the first two centuries after Christ’s death, Christmas was not celebrated. In 245 AD, when a group of scholars attempted to pinpoint the exact date of Christ’s birth, a Church council denounced the endeavour, declaring that it would be wrong to celebrate the birth of Christ “as though He were a King Pharaoh”. In… Read More ›
The Spirit of Christmas and the Spirit of Islam
Catholic World Report. Dec. 21, 2014. How much do Christians and Muslims have in common? Plenty of clues can be found in the celebration of Christmas. “The man that hath no music in himself/ Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds/ Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils” –William Shakespeare, The Merchant of… Read More ›
Christmas and the Liturgical Conception of Time.
In order to understand the full meaning of the liturgy we have to grasp the liturgical conception of time. The Christian “present” of the liturgy has some thing of the character of eternity, in which all reality is present at once. The past and the future are there fore made present in the mysteries of… Read More ›