In the Gospel of Luke, we discover the Annunciation to Mary. Here is what the angel Gabriel says to the Virgin: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33). No first-century Israelite would have missed the meaning here: this child shall be the fulfillment of the promise made to King David. He will be the king of the world, the one who would bring unity and peace to the nations. The angel confirms this to the shepherds in the fields: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord: (Luke 2:11). Saviour is Soter in Greek, which means “healer.” This was rendered in Latin as Salvator, Saviour in English. In old myths and legends, the true king would bring healing to his country, just as a wicked king would make the whole country sick. Further, this healer is “Christ and Lord.” Christos means anointed, and this has a clear Davidic overtone, for David had been anointed king by the prophet Samuel, and all of his successors had been anointed. This baby will be the point of ordering for the entire world; he'll be the ruler and governor, the one who sets the tone. And this is further emphasized by calling him “Lord”—Kyrios in Greek, Dominus in Latin. He is the one who should dominate us, rule over every aspect of us. With the angel’s next words, everything is turned upside down: “And this shall be the sign to you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” The new David, Christ the Lord, the Dominus, the center and orderer of all things, the emperor of the universe…is a baby? And a baby wrapped up so it can’t move? And lying where? In the grubby place where the animals eat? Here is all of the poetry and all of the drama of Christmas. Indeed, the divine power is made manifest in weakness, for the divine power is nothing other than love, giving oneself away, being bound to the other, becoming food for those around you. Finally, alongside the single angel there appeared an entire army of angels. We should not get sentimental about these angels. These aren't cute, chubby babies playing harps. They represent the army of heaven, which is more powerful than all of the armies of earth. The Prince of Peace has an army that is more powerful than anything that is in the world. There are the glad tidings of Christmas. A new king has come, bringing with him an army of heavenly messengers, and he intends to bring peace and unity to the nations. A Prayer For those who work on Christmas Day Lord, as I spend today going about my work, help me to put aside any bitterness that I'm not celebrating at home with loved ones. I ask you, Loving Father, to give me a special sense of your presence as I meet people, that I may shed on them the light of the Bethlehem Star, the Spirit of Christmas. Amen. Padre Pio on Christmas
So plentiful, O Christians, are the lessons that shine forth
from the grotto of Bethlehem! Oh how our hearts should be on fire with love for the one who
with such tenderness was made flesh for our sakes! Oh how we should burn with desire to lead the whole world to this lowly cave,
refuge of the King of kings,
greater than any worldly palace, because it is the throne and dwelling place of God! Let us ask this Divine child to clothe us with humility, because only by means of this virtue can we taste the fullness of this mystery of Divine tenderness. A Christmas Day Prayer Praise to You, Lord God! You have become one of us -- You have become a human being, while still retaining all your power and holiness as God! You, O Lord, made the journey of the unborn child. By being an embryo, a fetus, and a newborn, you joined all unborn and newborn children to you! From the beginning of history, O Lord, You were the Creator of every human life. Now, with Christmas, You join Yourself in an unthinkable way with the life You created. Let this Christmas, O God, fill all of us with awe and wonder at how close human life is to You. Cleanse the world of all that tarnishes and rejects this gift. Purify our hearts of all that fears this gift. Let our Christmas joy be the joy of welcoming every human life! Amen! LETTER FROM THE CHRISTMAS CELEBRANT Hello dear friend! Well as you know, it's time for my birthday again. Last year, they had a really big party for me and it seems like they will do it again this year. After all they've been shopping and preparing for it for months now, and there have been announcements and advertisements almost every day about how soon it's coming! They really do go overboard about it, but it's nice to know that at least on one day of the year some people are thinking about me a little. You know, it's been many years now since they first started celebrating my birthday. Back then they seemed to realize and appreciate how much fun it seems for the little children. Just the same, it seems that most folks are missing the point of it all. Like last year, for example, when my birthday came around, they threw a big party, but can you believe it? I wasn't even invited! Imagine! The guest of honor, and they forgot all about me? Here they had begun preparing for the festivities months in advance, but when the big day came, I was left out in the cold. Well, it happened so many times in recent years, I wasn't even surprised. Even though I wasn't invited, I thought I'd just quietly slip in anyway. So I came in and stood off to the side. Everyone was drinking, laughing and having a grand time, when all of a sudden in came this fat fellow in a bright red suit, wearing a phony white beard and shouting, "Ho Ho Ho!" He looked like he had more than enough to drink. When he collapsed into a big armchair, all the little children went running over to him excitedly yelling, "Santa! Santa!" I mean, you'd have thought he was the guest of honor and the whole holiday was just for him. Then he began telling them the most ridiculous story you've ever heard - that he lives at the North Pole with a crew of dwarfs and that every year on my birthday he rides in his sleigh pulled by a bunch of flying reindeer, delivering presents to children all over the world! I mean there wasn't a word of truth in anything he said! Imagine telling such poor, little, impressionable kids such far-fetched fables! Finally I just had to leave. I walked out the door. It was no surprise that no one even noticed that I had gone. As I walked down the street afterward, I felt about as lonely and forlorn as a stray dog. I could not remember the last time I'd felt that low. Maybe you don't think I cry?? The little manger scene you put in the corner of your living room is really touching! It's good that people commemorate my birthday like that. Did you know that nowadays, in some countries, the authorities wouldn't even allow manger scenes to be placed in parks, streets, or public place anymore! Not to mention their schools! I'm not talking about Communist countries! I'm talking about the good, old USA. Imagine! What could be more innocent than a manger scene to remind people of my birthday? Yet it is banned! They've actually passed laws against it and made it illegal! What's this world coming to? Another thing that amazes me is how, on my birthday, instead of giving me presents, most people give gifts to each other! And to top it all off, it's usually all kinds of stuff they don't even need! Let me ask you what if, when your birthday came along, all your friends decided to celebrate it by giving each other presents and never gave you a thing? Someone once told me, "Well, it's because you're not around like other people are, so how can we give you a present? You know my answer to that one. Give gifts of food and clothing to the poor, help those who need it. Go visit the lonely! Any gift you give to your needy fellow man, I'll count as if you gave it to me personally! (See Matthew 25:34-40) Well sad to say, things are getting worse each year. You can just imagine my shock a few years ago when I began seeing them taking my title out of my birthday greeting and replacing it with an X. What an insult? Think of it! Xmas! What if I wrote you a birthday card and said Happy Birthday X! You'd probably never talk to me again! That is just about how I feel. What more could they do to push me right out of the picture on my own birthday? It reminds me of what happened recently to a friend of mine, a sweet elderly fellow. He's from the poorer side of town, and he's been trying unsuccessfully for years to join the church. It was a very exclusive church for the proper kind of folks, and they just did not think he was good enough to be a member. I found him one day sitting by the church steps with his head on his hands bowed. I asked him what was wrong. He told me about it. I put my arm around his shoulder and told him I knew just how he felt. I've wanted to enter that same church for twenty years and they've never let me in either! Well there is an end even to my patience. So I'm going to let you in on a secret. Now this is something I've been planning on doing for quite sometime. I'll have my own party! How about that? It's going to be the most fantastic feast you could possibly imagine! It might not happen this year, but I'm sending out the invitations now. I know you'll want to come. There is going to be room for billions, for everyone who wants to come! Some really famous old timers and celebrities are going to be there and I'll reserve you a seat of honor right with them! (Mat. 8:11) So hold on to your hat because when everything is ready, I'm going to spring it as a big surprise! Many people are going to be left out in the cold because they did not answer my invitation. Let me know right away if you'd like to come. I'll reserve you a place and write your name in large golden letters in my great big Guest Book! Much Love,
JESUS Christmas Poem
This poem was written by a Marine
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.' December 25 - Jesus Calling As you wait attentively in My Presence, the Light of the knowledge of My Glory shines upon you. This radiant knowledge transcends all understanding. It transforms every fiber of your being: renewing your mind, cleansing your heart, invigorating your body. Open yourself fully to My Presence; be awed by My glorious Being. Try to imagine what I gave up when I came into your world as a baby. I set aside My Glory, so that I could identify with mankind. I accepted the limitations of infancy under the most appalling conditions—a filthy stable. That was a dark night for Me, even though angels lit up the sky proclaiming “Glory!” to awe-struck shepherds. When you sit quietly with Me, the process I went through is reversed in your experience. As you identify with Me, heaven’s vistas open up before you—granting you glimpses of My Glory. I became poor so that you might become rich. Sing hallelujahs to My holy Name! For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
—2 Corinthians 4:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
—Philippians 2:6–7 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
—Luke 2:13–14 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
—2 Corinthians 8:9 | 
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