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At thy Nativity a glorious Quire
Of Angels in the field of Bethlehem sung
To Shepherds watching at their folds by night,
And told them the Messiah now was born,
Where they might see him, and to thee they came;
Directed to the Manger where thou lais't,
For in the Inn was left no better room:
A Star, not seen before in Heaven appearing
Guided the Wise Men thither from the East,
to honour thee with Incense, Myrrh, and Gold,
By whose bright course led on they found the place,
Affirming it thy Star new grav'n in Heaven,
By which they knew thee King of Israel born.
~Paradise Regain'd by John Milton (1608-1674)
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And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall
be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:9-14
A little child,
A shining star.
A stable rude,
The door ajar.
Yet in that place,
So crude, folorn,
The Hope of all
The world was born.
~Author Unknown
The Holy Night
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem;
The dumb kine from their fodder turning them,
Softened their horn'd faces,
To almost human gazes
Toward the newly Born:
The simple shepherds from the star-lit brooks
Brought visionary looks,
As yet in their astonished hearing rung
The strange sweet angel-tongue:
The magi of the East, in sandals worn,
Knelt reverent, sweeping round,
With long pale beards, their gifts upon the ground,
The incense, myrrh, and gold
These baby hands were impotent to hold:
So let all earthlies and celestials wait
Upon thy royal state.
Sleep, sleep, my kingly One!
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2000 or so years ago, a child was born in Bethlehem who grew to teach the world to love one another. It was just east of Bethlehem, in a little town called Beit Sahour, that the angels announced this birth to the shepherds in the fields. During this season we celebrate the birth and the man who many believe to be the Son of God; the Light of the World.
2000 or so years later, in the little town of Beit Sahour, a child is born into a world of violence and terror. Who is he, but a child of God. Who are we all but children of God.
This prayer was found at the East Jerusalem YMCA website...
Dreams and Prayers at Christmas…
The only means to celebrate the special time of Christmas and to live its joyful spirit
is through our dreams, hopes and prayers..
Our dreams that we pray to the Lord to make them come true…
We dream to live a peaceful life like the other human beings of the World…
We dream to have the very simple right of every human being
to live safely at our own homes…
We dream to spend our nights and days in peace…
We dream to live a life
With no more fear…
No more horror…
No more anxiety…
No more insecurity…
No more suffering…
At Christmas, we dream and dream while praying to the Lord from deep inside our hearts that the true meaning of this sacred season find its way into the hearts and minds of those leaders in the hands of whom our future and the future of our children lies…
May the Lord plant in their hearts the seeds of love and mercy..
May He grant them open minds and merciful hearts
so as to try to make the World a happier place to live in…
May the King of Peace make of these leaders channels of His peace…
Oh, Jesus Christ,
Your birth brought light to the humankind, but our days are still dark…
2000 years ago, your star shed down its rays
and guided the Magi to the place where You, our Savior, were born…
Today, we pray to You, God, to shed down one ray
and guide us out of the darkness we’re living in…
Lord, we pray to you to change hatred into love…
To replace our sorrows with cheers…
And to grant us with the true inner peace…
2000 or so years ago Jesus asked just two things of us, really. Just two. First to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. Secondly, to love one another. To my way of thinking, you can't really do one without the other. You cannot claim to love God if you do not love all of his children, for God lives within each of them. You cannot love each other without also loving God, for who are we but Divine Spirits housed in flesh.
2000 years or so later, and we still can't honor this simple request from a man so many claim to worship. Jesus doesn't require gold or frankencense or myrhh to honor his birth. The only gift that would honor his birth is peace on earth, good will toward men...to love God and love one another. It doesn't cost a penny. It doesn't need a fancy bow. It seems like so little to ask to repay a man who gave the world so much.
How will you honor the Christ Child this year?
"Christ could be born a thousand times in Galilee
but all in vain until he is born in me."
~ Angelus Selsius
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