Tag: nativity
The Nativity and Epiphany in early Christian art
As the Church celebrates the Octave of Christmas, Vatican News has prepared a video of depictions of the Nativity and Epiphany on early Christian sarcophagi displayed in the Vatican Museums. The mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of His manifestation to humanity (Epiphany) represents one of the main features of… Read More ›
Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
CNA/EWTN: The Catholic Church celebrates today the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary’s infancy and early life are not directly recorded in… Read More ›
What Child is This?
As we turn our eyes on Bethlehem and away from the rich and busy world, we recall the following lines: A little Child, A shining star, A stable rude, The door ajar. Yet in that place So crude, forlorn, The hope of all The world was born. If only the people of this world could… Read More ›
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(CNA): The Catholic Church celebrates today the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary’s infancy and early life are not directly recorded in… 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 ›
The faithful is reborn in Christ
For the birth of Christ is the origin of the people of Christ, and the birthday of the head is the birthday of the body. It is true that each of those who are called is allotted a particular place, and that all the sons of the Church are separated from each other by intervals… Read More ›
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The hoped-for day of the blessed and venerable Mary ever a Virgin has now come; therefore let our earth rejoice with great gladness, illuminated by the birth of so great a Virgin. For she is the flower of the field from which came forth the priceless lily of the valley; by her child-bearing the nature… Read More ›
And justice looked down from heaven
And justice looked down from heaven. That the Saviour should have mercy on his people was indeed an act of justice. See what the Scripture says: O how just are God’s judgments and how unsearchable his ways! On the one hand truth, that is, a saviour, has grown up from the earth, and on the… Read More ›
Evergreens and The Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath is an increasingly popular symbol of the beginning of the Church year in many churches as well as homes. It is a circular evergreen wreath (real or artificial) with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. Since the wreath is symbolic and a vehicle to tell the Christmas… Read More ›
Origin of the Nativity Manager
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission… Read More ›