Merry Christmas!

Mor Ephrem · Post by **Mor Ephrem** » Fri 24 December 2004 6:26 pm

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas, two weeks early, as our new calendarist kind is wont to do.

George Australia · Sat 25 December 2004 6:07 am

And to you a Merry Christmas!
Which reminds me:
I drove past a Baptist Church today which had a sign out the front saying:
"Keep CHRIST in Christmas"
I think the irony was lost on them that the english word "Christmas" comes from "Christ's Mass"- i.e. the Nativity Eucharistic Liturgy.
So perhaps one could respond to the Baptists by writing:
"Keep MASS in Christmas"!

gphadraig · Post by **gphadraig** » Sat 25 December 2004 9:52 am

Sadly, I think we all know the Baptists have a point. We may not be happy about it, though. The festival of Christmas has been 'hijacked' but a secular fest which might be more accurately described as 'Excessmas'. 'Excess' is self explanatory and mas as in 'massively' participated in! Much of the excess is commercially driven and dates back only to the times of Charles Dickens or thereabouts.

With two of my children working as teachers - the older now working with primary schoolchildren having previously worked with secondary schoolchildren and the younger working with secondary schoolchildren - the level of awareness and understanding of the meaning of Christmas is a frequent topic of conversation.

Ps - quiet around here, what do think they are all doing?

Jakub · Post by **Jakub** » Sat 25 December 2004 2:16 pm

Putting the calendar issue aside,

I wish & pray for all members and their families to have and enjoy a blessed Christmas.

james

尼古拉前执事 · Fri 7 January 2005 10:20 am

ANd now that it is that glorious day, a blessed Nativity to you all!

CHRIST IS BORN!

Chrysostomos · Post by **Chrysostomos** » Fri 7 January 2005 2:42 pm

GLORIFY HIM!!!!!

Mor Ephrem · Post by **Mor Ephrem** » Fri 7 January 2005 5:06 pm

Merry Christmas!

This is my third Christmas in two weeks: my Church celebrates on 25 December, the Armenians keep the ancient tradition of celebrating Christmas and Theophany on the same day, so while I went there yesterday for Theophany on 6 January, I also got Christmas, and later that night, I went to a traditionalist EO church for their Christmas Vigil and Liturgy.

I've got it good.