Disrupting the Narrative of the New Left, its allies in Academia, Hollywood and the Establishment Media, and examining with honesty the goals of cultural Marxism and the dangers of reactionary and abusive political correctness.
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,just as it had been told to them...
Is there a day of greater expectation for Christians than
Christmas Eve? Holy Saturday, perhaps, should be; but while the
Resurrection of Christ is a more remarkable act even than the
Incarnation of God as Man, the simple fact that the former depends on
the latter - God must become Man before He can die and rise again - has
ensured that Christmas captures our imagination more fully than Easter.
It is not just visions of sugar plums and glorious roast beast that set
our hearts afire on this day; it is the recognition - perhaps less
conscious than more so - that, in the words of one of my favorite
Christmas carols,
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
Even
as Christians, we may have reduced the Nativity of Our Lord in
practical terms to a holiday of family and friends, of home and hearth
and happiness. Yet our souls know more than our minds acknowledge, and
on this night of nights they cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus!" That is the
cry, too, of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church, of saints and
sinners down through the ages...
It is the cry of humanity broken
by sin, of men and women who too often rebel against the realization
that we cannot repair our lives, much less the world, on our own, yet
who recognize, deep within their souls, the scars that only Christ can
heal. Our pride threatens to stifle that cry, and perhaps for 364 days
of the year, it succeeds in doing so. We act as if our salvation lies in
our hands, as if we can heal ourselves through our own works.
Yet
on this day, and even more so this night, our souls may speak more
loudly, if we will let them. They may cry to the Lord Who will greet us
in the morning from His humble manger; they may admit that we need the
Child Who is also the Man Who died for our sins - not just the sins of
Adam and Eve, and the sins of our fellow man, but our sins, that we have
committed yesterday and today, and which we will commit tomorrow.
And
our souls may allow us, this night, to set aside our spiritual and
intellectual pride, and to hear the truth of the prophets, who likened
those souls to an arid desert, which no man can make bloom but God can
make fruitful.
To receive the gift of God, the gift that He gives
us starting this night, requires setting our pride aside and
acknowledging that we are broken, that we are barren, that on our own we
can only bring death rather than life.
This night, of all
nights, our hearts seem ready to hear these words, to admit the longing
in our souls for something that we cannot gain for ourselves, but can
only accept as a gift. Or rather, the longing for Someone, the only
begotten Son of the Father Who wants nothing more than for all of His
children to receive the ultimate gift in the spirit in which He gives
it: freely, without reservations.
Tomorrow, He comes: the greatest gift of all. Tonight, we watch, we wait, we hope...
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
And it came to pass that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David. He was to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child. And it came to pass that when they were there, her days were accomplished that she should be delivered...
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen...
#StNicholas put bags of gold in shoes/stockings in poor houses. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings for gifts from St Nic pic.twitter.com/SJIxo1fG2I
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. pic.twitter.com/MRdO0SSr5V
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way of Thine only-begotten Son: that through His coming we may attain to serve Thee with purified minds. Who liveth and reigneth, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.
But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: land he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk. They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea.
In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious.
Alleluia, alleluia. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go unto the house of the Lord. Alleluia.
