Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
ARE YOU HAVING A WHITE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR...METHINKS OURS WILL BE GREEN...AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY...
GREEN CHRISTMAS,FULL GRAVEYARD.
In Canada,a Christmas is considered "white", if there are 2 cm. of snow on the ground on December 25th.
In England,a Christmas is considered "white" if a single snow flake is observed falling onto the roof of the London Weather Centre in the... 24 hours of 25 December, even without a perceivable quantity of snow.
In America,a "white" Christmas has a snow depth of at least 1 inch on the ground at 7 AM on December 25th.
Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicine, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
GREEN CHRISTMAS,FULL GRAVEYARD.
In Canada,a Christmas is considered "white", if there are 2 cm. of snow on the ground on December 25th.
In England,a Christmas is considered "white" if a single snow flake is observed falling onto the roof of the London Weather Centre in the... 24 hours of 25 December, even without a perceivable quantity of snow.
In America,a "white" Christmas has a snow depth of at least 1 inch on the ground at 7 AM on December 25th.
Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicine, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance
The Nativity scene of the street cleaners in Rome has been one of the most visited Nativities by Popes in history. It has been dubbed the street cleaners' Nativity because that was the profession of the creator when he began displaying his work in 1972.
Giuseppe Ianni
Street Cleaner and Nativity Creator
“It shows day and night time, the trees are accurately presented, the layout, the houses, we tried to make everything representative to the Palestine of 2000 years ago.”
The Nativity consists of 100 houses constructed down the smallest details that include doors, windows, and even smoking chimney's.
Mr. Ianni improves the Nativity each year adding features that he often finds from outside his home country of Italy.
“The stones at the base come from all parts of the world, besides Italy, there are over 350 stones from various nations. It's as if this crib were unifying all people in front of Jesus.”
Over the years the street cleaners' Nativity has drawn local politicians, Popes, and tourists from around the world.
For Mr. Ianni this has become a deep source of pride.
“Three Holy Fathers have come to visit the Nativity. Pope Paul VI in 1974 and then from 1978 to 2002 John Paul II came 24 times, in 2005 and 2006 Pope Benedict XVI visited. We also had the Mother Teresa of Calcutta here for a visit.”
Since it's beginnings the Nativity has drawn about two million Romans to visit and has been called “a precious stone set in the Aurelio neighborhood, only a few meters from the Vatican.”
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
DIGITAL NATIVITY STORY
THIS I FOUND AT BREADGIRLS...WHO FOUND IT AT CATHOLIC WITH ATTITUDE.
IT SHOWS HOW THE NATIVITY STORY MIGHT PLAY OUT IF JESUS WAS BORN IN OUR DAY...SUPER CUTE.
THIS I FOUND AT BREADGIRLS...WHO FOUND IT AT CATHOLIC WITH ATTITUDE.
IT SHOWS HOW THE NATIVITY STORY MIGHT PLAY OUT IF JESUS WAS BORN IN OUR DAY...SUPER CUTE.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
TODAY IS ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS'S FEAST DAY.HE AND THERESA OF AVILA ( THE OTHER SPANISH MYSTIC OF THE 16TH CENTURY) HAVE IMPACTED MY LIFE IN UNBELIEVABLE WAYS.
EVERY TIME I THINK OF JOHN,I REMEMBER THIS DESCRIPTION OF HIM...THAT HE WOULD STAY UP FAR INTO THE NIGHT WITH HIS ELBOWS PROPPED UP ON THE WINDOWSILL...MARVELLING AT THE HEAVENS...GOD'S CREATION.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL AND THE ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL,THEN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM...GUARANTEED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE ALSO.
FATHER THOMAS DUBAY ALSO HAS A 13 PART AUDIO PROGRAMME ON JOHN,WHICH IS EXCELLENT.EWTN OFFERS IT AS A DOWNLOAD TO MP3 PLAYERS.
EVERY TIME I THINK OF JOHN,I REMEMBER THIS DESCRIPTION OF HIM...THAT HE WOULD STAY UP FAR INTO THE NIGHT WITH HIS ELBOWS PROPPED UP ON THE WINDOWSILL...MARVELLING AT THE HEAVENS...GOD'S CREATION.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL AND THE ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL,THEN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM...GUARANTEED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE ALSO.
FATHER THOMAS DUBAY ALSO HAS A 13 PART AUDIO PROGRAMME ON JOHN,WHICH IS EXCELLENT.EWTN OFFERS IT AS A DOWNLOAD TO MP3 PLAYERS.
Monday, December 13, 2010
**True Story of Rudolph**
A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.
His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home.
Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"
Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.
Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger.
It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports.
He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.
Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl.
But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and
now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift.
But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!
Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.
Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
Who was the character? What was the story all about?
The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form.
The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character?
A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.
Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook
and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book.
Wards went on to print, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.
By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.
In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May.
The book became a best seller.
Many toy and marketing deals followed andBob May, now remarried with a growing family,
became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.
But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.
Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again.
And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
*_MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010 _*
A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.
His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home.
Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"
Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.
Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger.
It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports.
He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.
Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl.
But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and
now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift.
But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!
Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.
Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
Who was the character? What was the story all about?
The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form.
The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character?
A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.
Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook
and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book.
Wards went on to print, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.
By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.
In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May.
The book became a best seller.
Many toy and marketing deals followed andBob May, now remarried with a growing family,
became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.
But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.
Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again.
And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
*_MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010 _*
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Survey finds most Americans celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday
Despite the commercial push to say “happy holidays” during the Christmas season, a new study finds that the majority of the United States celebrates Dec. 25 as a religious event.
Rasmussen Reports released a study on Dec. 9 which claims that a whopping 92 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, and of that percentage, 65 percent regard it as a religious holiday.
The survey notes that although most Americans are not offended if someone wishes them a “Merry Christmas,” they in turn will say “happy holidays” rather than risk offending others.
The report – which surveyed 1,000 people nationwide via telephone on Dec. 4 and 5 – also shows that couples who are married with children at home are more likely to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday than those who are unmarried and without children.
Evangelical Christians, as well as those who attend church at least once a week, are also more inclined to celebrate Christmas religiously. Only 28 percent of those surveyed said they celebrate Christmas as a secular event.
Of the six percent of Americans who do not celebrate Christmas, 25 percent said they celebrate some other holiday, while 66 percent said they do not celebrate any holiday this time of year.
The study also notes that 68 percent of U.S. citizens will put up a Christmas tree this year and 60 percent plan to decorate their houses for the holiday.
Americans also rated Christmas as the nation's most important holiday followed by the Fourth of July.
Despite the commercial push to say “happy holidays” during the Christmas season, a new study finds that the majority of the United States celebrates Dec. 25 as a religious event.
Rasmussen Reports released a study on Dec. 9 which claims that a whopping 92 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, and of that percentage, 65 percent regard it as a religious holiday.
The survey notes that although most Americans are not offended if someone wishes them a “Merry Christmas,” they in turn will say “happy holidays” rather than risk offending others.
The report – which surveyed 1,000 people nationwide via telephone on Dec. 4 and 5 – also shows that couples who are married with children at home are more likely to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday than those who are unmarried and without children.
Evangelical Christians, as well as those who attend church at least once a week, are also more inclined to celebrate Christmas religiously. Only 28 percent of those surveyed said they celebrate Christmas as a secular event.
Of the six percent of Americans who do not celebrate Christmas, 25 percent said they celebrate some other holiday, while 66 percent said they do not celebrate any holiday this time of year.
The study also notes that 68 percent of U.S. citizens will put up a Christmas tree this year and 60 percent plan to decorate their houses for the holiday.
Americans also rated Christmas as the nation's most important holiday followed by the Fourth of July.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
This new movie will bring the story of Saint Nicholas, with his selfless generosity, to the general public—a public that has largely forgotten or never knew his inspiring saga. Nicholas of Myra is for every time, all ages, and those of every creed. It will leave no doubt that Santa Claus is for real, and that he can be as much a part of sacred holiday tradition as secular.
"With this motion picture, we are trying to emulate the look of the classic film epics that many of us grew up on," stated Gerald Hartke, director of Nicholas of Myra. "It is going to be family entertainment that we hope, once completed, will be enjoyed for years to come."
"The World needs to know the story of Nicholas . . . I believe this is going to be a worldwide success," said Canon James Rosenthal of the St. Nicholas Society, after visiting Wonderworker Studios and meeting the cast and crew.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Christmas is about Christ, says Communities Secretary
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has urged council chiefs to celebrate Christmas in the traditional way and said that we should not obscure the fact that it is a festival to mark the birth of Christ, reports Christian Concern for our Nation.
Mr Pickles, who took office on 12 May 2010, said terms such as “Winterval” should not be used as a tag for this festive season and that councils should take pride in Britain’s Christian heritage by celebrating the nativity and its surrounding traditions. He signalled an end to the practice of councils denigrating Christmas, often under the guise of ‘equality’.
“We should actively celebrate the Christian basis of Christmas, and not allow politically correct Grinches to marginalise Christianity and the importance of the birth of Christ,” he said.
“The war on Christmas is over, and likes of Winterval, Winter Lights and Luminous deserve to be in the dustbin of history.”
Mr Pickles said that despite the current economic difficulties, it was not in councils’ interests to “play Scrooge” by cutting down on the Christmas festivities.
"Shoppers want to see Christmas lights, Christmas trees, carol services and nativity scenes, and councils should not hesitate in supporting them,” he added.
Mr Pickles also wrote on the ConservativeHome website:
“That’s why few things exasperate me more than when I read of councils letting Christmas be hijacked and renaming it “Winterval” or “Luminous”. It’s part of an aggressive school of secularism that has marginalised faith groups in this country.”
“Last year, the Archbishop of York warned of intolerance towards Christians in the public sector and that “equality” excluded anyone, black or white, with a Christian belief in God. PC police have even tried to ban prayers before council meetings and rebrand Christmas for fear of upsetting other religions. It was an insult to our faith groups and an insult to the country, suggesting we’d all prefer bland conformity to rich diversity,” he added.
In March 2010, Lord Carey of Clifton, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said Christians were being “bullied” out of public life in Britain while British politicians fail to stand up for their beliefs. Speaking in the House of Lords he accused British politicians of trying to bully Christianity out of public life in the name of political correctness. He said there was a campaign by atheists to ban faith schools despite their pupils gaining excellent results.
In December last year, the Rt Rev Alistair Magowan, Bishop of Ludlow, also said that a growing secular lobby wants to “do away with the manger” and celebrate Christmas without its religious meaning. He said that the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ does not fit with the “sentimentalised and often stereotyped” images now used to mark the festive season.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has urged council chiefs to celebrate Christmas in the traditional way and said that we should not obscure the fact that it is a festival to mark the birth of Christ, reports Christian Concern for our Nation.
Mr Pickles, who took office on 12 May 2010, said terms such as “Winterval” should not be used as a tag for this festive season and that councils should take pride in Britain’s Christian heritage by celebrating the nativity and its surrounding traditions. He signalled an end to the practice of councils denigrating Christmas, often under the guise of ‘equality’.
“We should actively celebrate the Christian basis of Christmas, and not allow politically correct Grinches to marginalise Christianity and the importance of the birth of Christ,” he said.
“The war on Christmas is over, and likes of Winterval, Winter Lights and Luminous deserve to be in the dustbin of history.”
Mr Pickles said that despite the current economic difficulties, it was not in councils’ interests to “play Scrooge” by cutting down on the Christmas festivities.
"Shoppers want to see Christmas lights, Christmas trees, carol services and nativity scenes, and councils should not hesitate in supporting them,” he added.
Mr Pickles also wrote on the ConservativeHome website:
“That’s why few things exasperate me more than when I read of councils letting Christmas be hijacked and renaming it “Winterval” or “Luminous”. It’s part of an aggressive school of secularism that has marginalised faith groups in this country.”
“Last year, the Archbishop of York warned of intolerance towards Christians in the public sector and that “equality” excluded anyone, black or white, with a Christian belief in God. PC police have even tried to ban prayers before council meetings and rebrand Christmas for fear of upsetting other religions. It was an insult to our faith groups and an insult to the country, suggesting we’d all prefer bland conformity to rich diversity,” he added.
In March 2010, Lord Carey of Clifton, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said Christians were being “bullied” out of public life in Britain while British politicians fail to stand up for their beliefs. Speaking in the House of Lords he accused British politicians of trying to bully Christianity out of public life in the name of political correctness. He said there was a campaign by atheists to ban faith schools despite their pupils gaining excellent results.
In December last year, the Rt Rev Alistair Magowan, Bishop of Ludlow, also said that a growing secular lobby wants to “do away with the manger” and celebrate Christmas without its religious meaning. He said that the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ does not fit with the “sentimentalised and often stereotyped” images now used to mark the festive season.
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