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The coming of Christ at Christmas was as an infant. And thus we don’t usually think of wedding imagery related to the First coming of Jesus.  Yet, since the first coming of Christ is certainly fulfilled, we now focus more on his Second coming, of which the first coming is a sacramental reminder.Thus, in Advent our longing and thrill are also and essentially  directed to his glorious second coming. And now Mother Church, the New Jerusalem, our Mother looks for her groom Jesus to come again all his glory:I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of...

December 30, 2013 The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas    Reading 1 1 Jn 2:12-17 I am writing to you, children,because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers,because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men,because you have conquered the Evil One. I write to you, children,because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers,because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men,because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,and you have...

The Christmas season comes each year with the expected flurry of media attention to the biblical accounts of Christ’s conception and birth. The general thrust of the secular media is often incredulity toward the fact that so many people still believe the Bible’s accounts to be true. This year, the Pew Research Center released a report on Christmas Day indicating that almost 75% of the American people affirm belief in the virgin birth of Christ. Meanwhile, the Public Religion Research Institute found markedly lower levels of belief, with just under half affirming the historical accuracy of the biblical accounts. The...

Was Jesus Born on Christmas Day? My wife and I took the kids Christmas light watching last night, December 26. We are always saddened to see so many folks already taking down their lights or leaving them off only one day into the Christmas Season! For the world—and unfortunately many Christians—Christmas is over because Christmas Day has passed. For Catholics, Christmas has just begun because the Christmas season stretches from the vigil of Christmas, on the evening of December 24, until the Saturday after the Feast of the Epiphany. This year that will be January 11th.It is so fun to...

December 29, 2013 Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph    Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 God sets a father in honor over his children;a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.Whoever honors his father atones for sins,and preserves himself from them.When he prays, he is heard;he stores up riches who reveres his mother.Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,and, when he prays, is heard.Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother. My son, take care of your father when he is old;grieve him not as...

The best part of this jaw-dropping display of ignorance from MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Christianity? It comes in a segment called — wait for it — “Pretenders”! Reid argues that Sarah Palin, whose latest book celebrates Christmas, was a hypocrite and a bad Christian because … she put up a Christmas tree! Why, the noted Biblical scholar Reid smirked, that’s a violation of Scripture:(VIDEO-AT-LINK)JOY REID, SUBSTITUTE HOST: In “Pretenders” tonight, a merry Palin Christmas. Sarah Palin dropped by Fox & Friends to promote her manifesto on Christmas purity. She brought a treat better than Christmas cookies – family photos. (BEGIN...

“Rachel Weeping, and a Son Called out of Egypt” (Matthew 2:13-23) “To us a child is born, to us a son is given.” And his name is Jesus, of course. This child born in Bethlehem at Christmas. This son--Son of God, son of Mary--this son given to us to be our Savior. But what happens when Jesus is born? What happens when God gives his Son to the world? A whole bunch of bad stuff, apparently. A king goes crazy. A family has to flee to Egypt. Babies are killed. Mothers are weeping. And this is a gift?? Some kind...

Christmas Terror Bombings In Middle East Highlight Israel As Safe Haven For ChristiansBy Joel M. Leyden Israel News AgencyJerusalem, Israel — December 27, 2013 … Islamic Jihad, the holy war against Jews and Christians, continues throughout the Middle East. All of the Middle East except for one small democracy named Israel. On December 25, Christmas Day, Islamic terrorists murdered at least 37 people in three separate Christmas Day bombings. A car bomb parked next to the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad exploded after Christmas Mass, targeting Christians at prayer. Christians are being targeted and massacred from Iran, Pakistan and South...

It’s the festive season, and if there is a bitcoin fan among your friends and family, then they may have given you some of the virtual currency in your Christmas stocking. If so, what should you do with it? There are several options for you as a new bitcoin owner. We’ll tell you about them here, but before you start, please don’t do what Bloomberg TV anchor Adam Johnson did. Fellow anchor Matt Miller gave bitcoins to Johnson as a Christmas gift on air. They came in the form of a paper wallet (see below), which Johnson showed to the...

December 28, 2013 Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs    Reading 1 1 Jn 1:5—2:2 Beloved:This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christand proclaim to you:God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness,we lie and do not act in truth.But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,then we have fellowship with one another,and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.If we say, “We are without sin,”we deceive ourselves, and the...

- FrontPage Magazine - http://www.frontpagemag.com - Obama Gives Somalia $1.5 Bil, Somalia Bans ChristmasPosted By Daniel Greenfield On December 26, 2013 @ 12:14 pm In The Point | 17 Comments Barack Obama, right, is dressed as a Somali elder by Sheikh Mahmed Hassan Somalia has about 1,000 surviving Christians. And that’s a challenge in a country where everyone is either in an Islamic militia or trying to move to the United States to sponge off welfare and plot terrorist bombings.In 2009, four Christian orphanage workers were beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam. Now Somalia has gotten enough of its...

The national commander of the American Legion is demanding answers from the Veterans Administration after hospitals in three states placed restrictions on Christian volunteers, including a group of schoolchildren who were told they could only perform Christmas carols from a government-approved list. "Every Christmas, every religious holiday, Christians are more and more often targeted for censorship and restriction at VA facilities," American Legion National Commander Daniel Dellinger said. "Veterans in these hospitals fought to protect such freedoms." In Iowa City, American Legion members were told they could not hand out presents to veterans if the wrapping paper said Merry Christmas....

Amongst other things, Natural Law prescribed that all men had certain unalienable Natural Law Rights. (In fact, Natural Law was so well known and understood at the time that the Founder's debated whether the Bill of Rights was even necessary) Locke continued this line of reasoning and developed the Governance Doctrine known as “Consent of the Governed”.

Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and their two daughters did not go to church on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to press pool reports. The Obamas are in Kailua, Hawaii for a 17-day Christmas vacation. Although the Obamas did not go to church for Christmas, President Obama did play golf

A group of 51 school children in Texas spent the week before Christmas making Christmas cards for veterans. According to the VA, the kids made a mistake by saying "Merry Christmas". Fox News reports VA hospital refuses to accept 'Merry Christmas' cards. Boys and girls at Grace Academy in Prosper, Tex., spent most of last Friday making homemade Christmas cards for bedridden veterans at the VA hospital in Dallas. Fourth-grader Gracie Brown was especially proud of her card, hoping it would “make their day because their family might live far away, and they might not have somebody to celebrate Christmas...

December 27, 2013Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist    Reading 1 1 Jn 1:1-4 Beloved:What was from the beginning,what we have heard,what we have seen with our eyes,what we looked uponand touched with our handsconcerns the Word of life —for the life was made visible;we have seen it and testify to itand proclaim to you the eternal lifethat was with the Father and was made visible to us— what we have seen and heardwe proclaim now to you,so that you too may have fellowship with us;for our fellowship is with the Fatherand with his Son, Jesus Christ.We are...

Sam Bierstock, MD, writes In Praise of Christians and ChristmasI'm an American Jew—100% full blooded with all four grandparents 100% Jewish as far back as you want to go. I live in a Christian country—I know it, I recognize it, and I love it. Please, please—have your Christmas parades, your house decorations, and your nativity scenes. I love New York City at Christmas and festive shopping store windows. I celebrate your joy and the spirit of your holiday season with you. I rejoice for you as you celebrate the birth of your savior. And THANK YOU from the bottom of...

As NewsBusters has reported for years, the hatred liberal media members have for and display towards former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin knows no bounds. On MSNBC’s Ed Show Thursday, substitute host Joy Reid castigated Palin first for having the nerve to show family pictures on Fox & Friends Christmas Eve – the horror! – but also for having a Christmas tree on - wait for it! - Christmas (video follows with transcript and commentary):(VIDEO-AT-LINK) JOY REID, SUBSTITUTE HOST: In “Pretenders” tonight, a merry Palin Christmas. Sarah Palin dropped by Fox & Friends to promote her manifesto on Christmas purity. She...

Barack Obama, right, is dressed as a Somali elder by Sheikh Mahmed Hassan Somalia has about 1,000 surviving Christians. And that’s a challenge in a country where everyone is either in an Islamic militia or trying to move to the United States to sponge off welfare and plot terrorist bombings.In 2009, four Christian orphanage workers were beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam. Now Somalia has gotten enough of its act together to ban Christmas. The Somali Government has banned celebration of Christian festivities in the country.The Director General of the ministry, Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow Aden, and the Director...

The Grinch might be out of a job soon. Sixty holiday revelers in the Argentine town of Rosario found out the hard way why they should always read the signs at the beach when they were attacked by a shoal of piranhas during a Christmas Day swim. The attack occurred at a beach along the city's Parana River, where residents were trying to escape scorching 100-degree temperatures. More than 20 children were wounded by the hyper-aggressive fish, with one seven-year-old-girl reportedly losing a piece of her finger. The attack is the worst of its kind in Rosario since 2008, when...