Detail from Simeon with the Infant Jesus (c. 1796) by Benjamin West [WikiArt.org]
As our Advent journey draws to a close, we want to consider the last two canticles presented for our prayerful consideration by St. Luke, the
Gloria
Nunc Dimittis.
We now move into the second chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, where we read of the birth of Jesus and various events connected to the infancy and early life of the Child Savior. These texts have been known to us since childhood, enchanting us then; it is devoutly to be hoped that they enchant us still. If they don’t, it may be a very worthwhile Christmas project to attempt to regain that spiritual childhood promoted by St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Of course, the Little Flower didn’t invent the notion; it came from the lips of the Lord Himself: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).
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God works in strange ways. Last weekend, two friends and I were deeply moved when we saw a theatrical production of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. This is the famous and popular tale of the transformation and redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge from a rasping, grasping old miser into a lovable, generous old man who, late in life, becomes determined to make amends for all his extreme selfishness and his public denunciations of charity.
After a tossing-and-turning Christmas Eve night, during which he has dreams showing him lonely in his youth, showing present suffering he could easily alleviate and showing future rejoicing at his death, he awakes on Christmas morning a new man. He immediately parts with some of his wealth to the very people and institutions he formerly rejected, makes amends with relatives he had ignored, and his heart swells with joy a joy he had never known.
Napolitano: Taking Christmas seriously heraldextra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldextra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(ThyBlackMan.com) God works in strange ways. Last weekend, two friends and I were deeply moved when we saw a theatrical production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” This is the famous and popular tale of the transformation and redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge from a rasping, grasping old miser into a lovable, generous old man who, late in life, becomes determined to make amends for all his extreme selfishness and his public denunciations of charity.
After a tossing-and-turning Christmas Eve night, during which he has dreams showing him lonely in his youth, showing present suffering he could easily alleviate, and showing future rejoicing at his death, he awakes on
What Taking Christmas Seriously Really Means 1490wosh.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 1490wosh.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.