The Birth Of Jesus

  This is the time of year when we as Catholics as well as other religions celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I always love watching the various movies on cable television about the birth of Jesus. I have always been fascinated how God made it known to Mary and Joseph through the work of the holy spirit that Mary would give birth to our saviour. I think if God spoke to me that way I may just faint.

  As a child growing up in the Catholic Church I remember all the green wreaths would go up on all the pillars in the church. You could just tell there was a special feeling in the air. I remember seeing the nativity scene set up in one corner of the church. The hymns all changed to beautiful Christmas music. Of course at that time they started with the guitars during the singing of the hymns. I think that’s where I really got my interest in guitars, but that’s another story.

  I remember my Mother and my Grandparents putting up their nativity sets. I remember looking at the different shepherds, wiseman and the various animals. Then they would put an angel up on the peak of the open barn. I that is the time of the year when I was outside looking up at the sky looking for the brightest star. Here is a good link to information on the nativity scene http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_scene . 

  The intervention of God guiding Mary and Joseph out of danger is awesome and shows how important Jesus is in the salvation plan. How do we know exactly when Jesus was born ? Here is an interesting article from 1991 written by E. L. Martin http://www.ewtn.com/library/scriptur/chrdat.txt . Here is some excellent information on the virgin birth in theology http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15448a.htm . Also here is an article from the catholic news agency about Pope Francis giving his homily at the vigil Mass for Christmas http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/jesus-is-the-meaning-of-life-and-history-pope-preaches-on-christmas/   .
  Well Thank You for reading and Happy Holidays.

   

Christmas Whats It About and Where Did It Come From

  Christmas is really about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. At this time of year I see so many different movies on cable tv about the birth and life of Jesus how could I forget. Well growing up in the Catholic Church and going to St Thomas The Apostle in Rochester New York through 8th grade that is what I was taught. I was also taught that is a special time of giving just as God the Father gave us his only son. I can remember that in school they would give us a small box of candy. This was to show us that the season was about giving something no matter how simple it was. Here is an excellent link to a website about the season of Advent http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/advent/christmas.htm .

What Catholic Bible Do You Prefer

  I have a few different bibles that I like to read. My favorite is the New American Bible Saint Joseph Edition. It has a good amount of information in it. It is also very easy to read. I have gone to it many times to look up some information or to read a certain passage. This link can provide some interesting information on Catholic Bibles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bible . Here is another helpful site on choosing a Catholic Bible http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0704.asp .

Catholic Medals, Crosses and the Crucifix

   There are many different medals worn within the Catholic faith. Some medals are for various Saints and a persons patron Saint. A patron Saint is a heavenly advocate or guardian of a place, nation, activity, craft, class, clan, family or person. Patron Saints are people that have already entered heaven. They seem to be able to intercede on our behalf to God more effectively for our specific needs. They will listen to our special prayers and pray with us. We do not pray to the statue of a patron Saint in our home or at church. The statue is only a reminder of who the person is. It is not idol worship as some have tried to say.
  Here are some examples of patron Saints. There is St Matthew, St Thomas The Apostle, Saint Francis of Assisi, St Helen, St Dominic and many others. The various Saints all are associated with certain things such as work, animals, work and places among other things. Here is an excellent link on the subject http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/patrons.aspx . Below are some pictures of various Saints.

Some Misconceptions About the Catholic Church

  When I was in other churches such as the pentecostal church and Lutheran church I had heard many misconceptions about the Catholic Church. I had been asked or even told by individuals that the Catholic Church does not read the bible or they worship Mary.They practice idolatry by praying to statues. There are many other incorrect things that people assumed ,because they only see with their eyes and do not know the facts.