Merry Christmas!
Italian style:
at my uncles, lots of people, lots of drinks, lots of incredible food!
I write about my uncle, his house, and style in the book The Road Letters.
This is the one time of year I actually get to relive and recapture the se…

I, a non Catholic, was struck by Pope Benedict’s message at midnight mass and want to share some of his very moving fomily

The Fathers of the Church offer a remarkable commentary on the song that the angels sang to greet the Redeemer. Until that moment the Fathers say the angels had known God in the grandeur of the universe, in the reason and the beauty of the cosmos that come from him and are a reflection of him. They had heard, so to speak, creation’s silent song of praise and had transformed it into celestial music. But now something new had happened, something that astounded them. The One of whom the universe speaks, the God who sustains all things and bears them in his hands he himself had entered into human history, he had become someone who acts and suffers within history. From the joyful amazement that this unimaginable event called forth, from God’s new and further way of making himself known say the Fathers a new song was born, one verse of which the Christmas Gospel has preserved for us: “Glory to God in the highest heavens and peace to his people on earth.” We might say that, following the structure of Hebrew poetry, the two halves of this double verse say essentially the same thing, but from a different perspective. God’s glory is in the highest heavens, but his high state is now found in the stable what was lowly has now become sublime. God’s glory is on the earth, it is the glory of humility and love. And even more: the glory of God is peace. Wherever he is, there is peace. He is present wherever human beings do not attempt, apart from him, and even violently, to turn earth into heaven. He is with those of watchful hearts; with the humble and those who meet him at the level of his own “height,” the height of humility and love. To these people he gives his peace, so that through them, peace can enter this world. – Pope Benedict midnight mass 2008

Gloris in Excelsis Deo!

A little story I’d like to share: on Monday I went for a pre-Christmas meal in an Indian restaurant here in Bath. Like most ‘Indian’ restaurants in the UK it’s actually run by Bangladeshis, who are Muslims.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated, and the centrepiece was a tree; and on top of the tree was … a star.

So much for political correctness!

Counting the 12 Days Of Christmas, Merry On!

ericdondero on December 25, 2008 at 7:35 AM

Good to see Republicans are just as capable of sounding like Democrats when they‘re not in power, either!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!! Especially to those who believe not. Christ came to Earth for all of us, and loves everyone of us. Again, Merry Christmas!

Kjeil on December 25, 2008 at 1:11 PM

That’s it. Amen :)

Why are you so intolerant of his opinions?

jgapinoy on December 25, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Hate to deny you one of your favorite things but I have a gay-bashing on Christmas rule.

SnarkVader on December 25, 2008 at 11:28 PM

I don’t bash gays Snark, in fact I don’t know anybody that does. I do know some people that point out a sin when they see it and not allow friends to rationalize certain behaviors. I would expect my friends to do the same.

Today is not about me, and it’s not about you. Give it a rest. I’m in CA right now. I know who the intolerant ones are, and they are not the Christians, Jews, or Muslims that are causing trouble here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9m06QFxb3o&feature=channel_page

And I hope everyone here at HA had a wonderful Christmas.

Good night

Why are you so intolerant of his opinions?

jgapinoy on December 25, 2008 at 11:17 PM

Hate to deny you one of your favorite things but I have a gay-bashing on Christmas rule.

SnarkVader on December 25, 2008 at 10:47 PM

Why are you so intolerant of his opinions?

A Christmas Carol. While its underlying theme seems rather socialistic,

Some confuse an individual’s giving with a corrupt, incompetent, ineffective government’s taking. No socialism here folks, move along…

Merry Christmas again.

A happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009 to you all.

The war goes on. It wasn’t arguing on behalf of apartment owners’ rights NOT to rent to gay couples in front of the Supreme Court, but I did my valiant part.

Nothing like a little intolerance to brighten the spirits!

Merry Christmas everyone! Sapwolf, may you have a very festive and gay 2009!

TO MY FELLOW BELIEVERS AND ESPECIALLY TO THE NON-BELIEVERS.

Hey, the movie “The Nativity” I whipped out and watched on my laptop on a plane last year when the beta-male next to me started watching “Brokeback Mountain”. Of course I tilted my laptop a little towards him so he could watch Jesus’s Mom and Dad flee before Herod’s goons could get the Messiah. Yah, like that was gonna happen.

The war goes on. It wasn’t arguing on behalf of apartment owners’ rights NOT to rent to gay couples in front of the Supreme Court, but I did my valiant part.

My eyes watered when they showed the baby Jesus in the manger. It sure all ties together that Jesus would be placed in a manger, his body in a place where animals eat food. Afterall, the lowly creatures we are, we still get to partake in the Sacrifice of the Lamb through the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.

Keep up the good fight in 2009.

As for Ed’s movies – both are highly recommended and are part of our families Christmas viewing.

I want to wish a special Merry Christmas to Kevin E. – a Navy Corpsman attached to a Marine Unit in Iraq who is spending his first Christmas away from home.

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becomes poor.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.

“though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor”
~2 Corinthians 8:9

Yes, that means ALL. Including Obama, Biden, and both their families. God love bless ya!