A Blessed Christmas to All!


It is hard to believe that this is now the fifth Christmas for this humble little blog. Looking back I am amazed at the journey and thankful for the interaction of the readers over the years. As I type these words onto a computer screen that will appear next to my photographed digital image, I am also reminded of the limits in this two-dimensional world in which I have long interacted, and filled with renewed wonderment in the greater mystery and miracle of the incarnation which we celebrate this day. God came into our world, taking on real flesh, close enough to touch and see. In a day when so much of what we experience is through the medium of a virtual reality, the greater reality of the enfleshment of the divine in the person of Jesus brings a unique comfort to the struggling believer. This morning, in just a couple of hours, I will kneel at the altar and receive on my hands the very body of Jesus Christ, the God made flesh. I will lift the chalice to my lips and drink the very blood of my Lord for the forgiveness of my sins. Along with my people I will stand on the threshold between heaven and earth, worshiping in the true presence of the Almighty, united with the communion of saints with whom I likewise join my praises on this holy day. Nothing digital here today. Nothing separating me from the realities of God's gifts. Direct interaction with the divine. This is what the shepherds experienced over two millenia ago. This morning I, too, will stand at the manager and worship the newborn King. What a blessing!

May all who read these words here this day be similarly blessed. My greatest wish for you on this Christmas morn is to pray that you will "taste and see that the Lord is good," worshiping in His gracious presence, hear his living word, and feast upon the Eucharistic meal in anticipation of the wedding banquet in the eschaton.

A blessed Christmas to all!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi...
Read more

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir...
Read more

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Image
According to a recent documentary, for all the talk about academic freedom in the world of the large American university system, it would seem that it extends only as far as the system defines it - especially with regards to the subject of origins and science. Noted speechwriter Ben Stein stars as host of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Dr. Angus Menuge, professor of philosophy at CUW, highlights the film in an article included in the Concordia University - Wisconsin magazine Concordian , including some seemingly revealing details about the expulsion of talented scientists who apparently were ‘expelled‘ from their positions for mentioning the theory of Intelligent Design: “In the current climate, even when academicians have a relevant doctorate and a track-record of peer-reviewed publication, their careers suffer if they argue that the scientific evidence points to an intelligent source involved in the creation of the world. In 1992, Dean Kenyon, a biology professor at ...
Read more