Children telling the Christmas Story

I love hearing children tell the story of Christ's birth...

...just puts a smile on my face.


:)


In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

O' Holy Night

Luke 2 The Story of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ
(click the Youtube video to hear "O' Holy Night" while reading the story of Christ's birth.) Merry Christmas Everyone and May God Bless You All!

1 "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

And Another Christmas Story In July….

Doug writes: It was late, almost midnight, and just another lonely Christmas Eve. The wind was howling and a blinding snow was coming down. The bitterly frigid temperature outside was not fit for man or beast. The elderly farmer groaned as he crawled his old, achy bones into his bead. He was cold and nestled himself snugly into the blankets to savor the warmth and drift off into a much needed restful slumber from his hard day’s work. This Christmas Eve, like many from the recent past, didn’t mean much to the old farmer. He was a lonely old man, and couldn’t figure out what all the hoopla was about and why others made such a big fuss about Christmas Eve. What’s so special about it, anyway? What’s the big deal? What’s everybody so happy about? After all, it was really just another day, wasn’t it?

Just as the old farmer was to drift off to sleep, he was disturbed by a fluttering and clicking noise outside his window. He got up to investigate and found a flurry of sparrows, trying to get in from the glass pane of the window, apparently seeing and sensing the warm dwindling day’s fire still slightly aglow in the fireplace.

Having satisfied his curiosity, the old farmer returned to his bed, desperate to regain the lost warmth from his abrupt exit. But the sparrows would have none of it, still flying into the windowpane and fluttering about on the sill. They made quite a racket.

Now angry about being disturbed again, the old farmer opened the window, yelling and flailing his arms about, trying to shoo his unwanted visitors away, but to now avail.

He dressed, went outside and opened the barn door, figuring he would give much relief to both he and the birds. The barn was enclosed, protected and full of hay. The birds would be warm and safe for the night, and hopefully quiet, so that he could get some sleep.

But the birds remained at their window vigil, undaunted and still determined to find shelter their own way.

Now frustrated, the old farmer paused to think how he could outsmart his feathered friends. He then went into the house and crushed up a loaf of bread. He went back outside and scattered the breadcrumbs on the snowy ground, leading a trail into the barn.

The trick only partially worked. The birds left the window and flocked about the bread, cautiously pecking at some of it, but they still refused to enter the barn. They now flew around the old farmer, as if equally frustrated and maybe even a bit scared and confused. They just didn’t know what to make of him, and feared getting too close to this large, odd, grandiose being.

Sensing their desperation on this cruel and cold winter night, the old farmer tried to think of another idea, but none came to mind. His exasperation now turned to sympathy for the forlorn birds, but he now felt helpless and didn’t know what else to do to help them. Feeling a bit sad and defeated, he went back in the old farmhouse and returned to bed. Snuggling back up into his cocoon of warm blankets, yet still chilled and shivering from his outdoor jaunt, the old farmer again tried to go to sleep. But the pecking and fluttering soon was again audible from his window. The birds had returned from outside of the barn door. They never did enter inside the barn.

His frustration now returned. The old farmer tried to ignore the poor little creatures, but they only continued zealously at their mission of acquiring and keeping his attention.

Now lying on his back, unsettled and awakened, the old farmer thought to himself, “On Christmas Eve, I need this aggravation! What’s the matter with those stupid birds, anyway? I tried to help them. Why wouldn’t they accept my help? Why wouldn’t they follow my lead? Why wouldn’t they trust me? Would they rather die, out in the winter frost, freezing and starving because of their own lack of faith and their own stubbornness? But what else can I do? I tried everything I could do. They just don’t trust me, even though I tried to save them. Maybe it’s because they don’t recognize me. If only I could turn myself into a sparrow. Then I would be one of them. I would look and act just like them. I wouldn’t be a big, scary, mysterious stranger from a distance any more. Then they would trust me. Then I could fly into the barn to show them and they would all follow me in. Birds can’t be all that much different from people. I’m sure they must trust someone who is one of them. Then, maybe they could be saved. Some might still not trust me, but I bet others would. At least then, some of them could be saved. If only I was a sparrow. If only I was one of them. After all, it is Christmas Eve. If only I could at least be turned into one of them, if even just for a little while. If I could be one of them right now, on Christmas Eve… Hey, wait a minute….”

Doug

Christmas Story in July

I know we've covered this before folks, but its come up again and as often as it does I will respond but... who knew so many people had such issues with Mary being the Mother of God Incarnate?

Anonymous writes: Eat your heart out goddess Mary worshipper...I tell you that every Catholic that venerates mother Mary is nothing more than a pagan idolater! And Catholics do it because they have the need to worship mothers and relegate fathers to a secondary place in direct rebellion to the fact that GOD BECAME A MAN AND NOT A WOMAN...Does God need a mother? NO! Was Mary existing before the creation and spoke to limitless God and said, "Hey! I have an idea, let's make a baby so that I can be the mother of God?" How high do you want to elevate a human being? A mere woman?! You tell us! Catholics are in denial by thinking that a mere human being could be elevated to the place of "Mother of God." Again, God has no mother you fools.

My Response: Let me start by saying I am not a "goddess Mary worshipper" and Catholics are not relegating "fathers to a secondary place". Mary is the mother of God Incarnate, hence we call her "Mother of God". It was God who chose Mary and placed her in the position of being the Mother of God Incarnate. That was God's decision, not Mary's. Mary accepted the Will of God and become the Mother of our Savior Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:38).

Luke 1
26 "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God." 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her."

You ask "Does God need a mother?" and then you say "no", but the fact is God must have needed a Mother for His Divine Salvation Plan or He wouldn't have approached Mary with His Divine Will of her being the mother of our Savior on earth, Jesus Christ. Mary was part of God's plan for the salvation of people through Jesus Christ our Sacrifice. For God to be born incarnate on earth, God needed a "mother". Mary is the Mother of God Incarnate. She carried him in her womb, gave birth to him and raised him. We (Catholics) aren't elevating Mary, God elevated Mary above all women to be the mother of our Savior. Don't get hung up on the title and miss the importance and significance of God's Divine Will and the birth of God Incarnate. No one is saying Mary pre-dated God the Father. Mary was chosen by God's Divine Will to be the Mother of God Incarnate- Jesus Christ our Savior. The scriptures say "God with Us" or Immanuel (Matt.1:22). That is where she gets her title from, she gave birth to Immanuel! God on earth. That is the Christmas story!