Christmas Anthology (6-9 dari 9 habis)

Sebelumnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2004/01/christmas-anthology-5-dari-9.html

Glory to Thee, O, Lord

Glory to Thee, O, Lord,
Who by Thy mighty power
Didst manifest Thy glory forth
In Cana’s marriage hour.

Thou spakest: it was done:
Obedient to Thy word,
The water reddening into wine
Proclaimed the present Lord.

Blest were the eyes which saw
That wondrous mystery,
The great beginning of Thy works
That kindled faith in Thee.

And blessèd they who know
Thine unseen presence true,
When in the kingdom of Thy grace
Thou makest all things new.

For by Thy loving hand
Thy people still are fed;
Thine is the cup of blessing, Lord,
And Thou the heavenly bread.

O may that grace be ours,
Ever in Thee to live,
And drink of those refreshing streams,
Which Thou alone canst give.

So, led from strength to strength,
Grant us, O Lord, to see
The marriage supper of the Lamb,
Thy great Epiphany.

By Hyde W. Beadon (1863), music by Benjamin Milgrove (1769).

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40 days after Christmas, on February 2, the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of Christ Child in the Temple, otherwise called the Purification of the Virgin Mary and Candlemas in the West and the Feast of the Meeting in the East.
Many events are commemorated this day. But above all this is a thanksgiving celebration for the gift of life. In the past, when the infant and post-partum death rate were relatively high, it was just right to give thank to the Lord to keep the baby and its mother.
This is also a festival of light. Simeon, when he encountered Baby Jesus, declared that He was the Light revealed to the nations. In begone days, people brought their candles to the church to be blessed. Candles and candle making of course were much more vital then when they were the only means by which people got light. To celebrate this event, a candle that had been blessed would be lighted in the evening & small children could go to bed after it finished burning while they were having [color=sky blue]f[/color]ruit punch.
Some say the custom of blessing & alighting candles during wintertime can trace back its origin in pre-Christian time. The Romans lighted special candles during wintertime in memory of the Goddess Ceres searching for her lost daughter, Proserpine, who, when restored to her signified the advent of spring.

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The Presentation in the Temple

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Thy people Israel." And His father and His mother marveled at what was said about Him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of Him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him. (Luke 2:22-40)

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Nunc Dimittis (Simeon's Prayer)

Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum lumen ad revelationem gentium et gloriam plebis tuae Israhel

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In His Temple Now Behold Him

In His temple now behold Him,
See the long expected Lord;
Ancient prophets had foretold Him-
God has now fulfilled His word.
Now to praise Him, His redeemèd
Shall break forth with one accord.

In the arms of her who bore Him,
Virgin pure, behold Him lie,
While His agèd saints adore Him
Ere in faith & hope they die.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lo, th’incarnate God most high.

Jesus, by Thy presentation,
Thou, Who didst for us endure,
Make us see our great salvation,
Seal us with Thy promise sure.
And present us in Thy glory
To Thy Father, cleansed & pure.

Prince & Author of salvation,
Be Thy boundless love our theme!
Jesus, praise to Thee be given
By the world Thou didst redeem.
With the Father and the Spirit,
Lord of majesty supreme!

By Henry J. Pye (stanza 1-3) (1851) & William Cooke (stanza 4) (1853).

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1st Antiphon of Advent

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"O Sapientia, o Wisdom, Holy Word of God, You govern all creation with Your strong yet tender care. Come & show Your people the way to salvation."

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2nd Antiphon of Advent

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"O Adonai, Leader of the House of Israel, who showed Yourself to Moses in the burning bush. Come, stretch out Your strong and mighty hand to set us free."

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3rd Antiphon of Advent

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"O Radix Jesse, o Flower of Jesse's stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples. Come, let nothing keep You from coming to our aid"

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4th Antiphon of Advent

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"O Clavis David o Key of David , controlling at Your will the Gate of Heaven. Come, break down the prison walls for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, & lead Your captive people to freedom"

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5th Antiphon of Advent

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"O Oriens, o Radiant Dawn, Splendor of Eternal Light, Sun of Justice. Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness & shadow of death."

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6th Antiphon of Advent

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"O Rex Gentium, o Ruler of all the earth, the only joy of human heart, o Keystone who makes all 1. Come & save the creatures You fashioned from the dust."

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7th Antiphon of Advent

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"O Emmanuel, Ruler & Lawgiver, Desire of all the nations, Saviour of all people. Come & set us free, o God."

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post by hansel @ WG

Christmas Anthology (5 dari 9)

Sebelumnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2003/12/christmas-anthology-4-dari-9.html

St Stephen's Day

Immediately after Christmas, on 26 December, the Church celebrates St Stephen's Day, for according to the Bible, he was the 1st to lay down his life for his faith.
In Britain this day is called the Boxing Day because it is the day when Churches open their money box & distribute the content to the poor & the needy who live within the parish. This tradition sprung from Biblical text about St Stephen as 1 of the 7 deacons appointed by the early Christian Church to care for the welfare of the poor & needy believers.
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The Martyrdom of St Stephen

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.' Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship Me in this place.' Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 'The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, and their bodies were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt. He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father's house; and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites. When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. The next day he came to some of them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?' But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.
Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.' It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up a Prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.' He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, 'Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.' At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.
But God turned away from them and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you offer to me slain victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, oh house of Israel? No; you took along the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; so I will remove you beyond Babylon.' Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, 'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me,' says the Lord, 'or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?'
You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."
When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. (Acts 6:8-15, 7:1-60)

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Good King Wenceslas

Wenceslas was the Duke of Bohemia who was murdered in 929 AD by his wicked younger brother, Boleslav. As the song indicates, he was a good, honest, and strongly principled man. The song expresses his high moral character in describing King Wenceslas braving a fierce storm in order to help feed a poor neighbour. Wenceslas believed that his Christian faith needed to be put into action in practical ways. Wenceslas was brought up with a strong Christian faith by his grandmother St Ludmilla. Wenceslas’ own mother Drahomira, however, joined forces with an anti-Christian group that murdered Wenceslas’ grandmother, and seized power in Bohemia. Two years later in 922 AD, the evil Drahomira was deposed, and Good King Wenceslas became the ruler. He became Bohemia’s most famous martyr and patron saint. His picture appeared on Bohemian coins, and the Crown of Wenceslas became the symbol of Czech independence.

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

“Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by St Agnes’ fountain.”

“Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold wind’s wild lament and the bitter weather.

“Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter’s rage freeze your blood less coldly.”

In his master’s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

By John M. Neale (1818-1866).

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The 1st Sunday after Christmas is dedicated to the Holy Family Jesus, Mary, & Joseph.
In the Holy family, God shows how a family should be. Love, understanding, support, & above all God's presence should be in every Christian household.


The Boy Jesus in the Temple

Now every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the Boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it. Assuming that He was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us so? Behold, Your father and I have been searching for you anxiously." He said to them, "Why were you searching for Me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what He said to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. (Luke 2:41-52)

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"The Little Match Girl"

Inspired by the rejection of his society, Andersen turned to writing & found solace in his faith that those now mourning would be comforted. With New Year's Eve as its setting, no other time is perfect to retell this story.

It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own. So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny. Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along; poor little child, she looked the picture of misery. The snowflakes fell on her long, fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not.
Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of roast goose, for it was New Year’s Eve- yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money. Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew one out. Scratch! How it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! And seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! The flame of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.
She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where its light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room. The table was covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on which stood a splendid dinner service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more wonderful, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast, to the little girl. Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her.
She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s. Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and [color=sky blue]c[/color]oloured pictures, like those she had seen in the show-windows, looked down upon it all. The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.
The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire. “Someone is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.
She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance. “Grandmother,” cried the little one, “Oh, take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the large, glorious Christmas tree.” And she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there. And the matches glowed with a light that was brighter than the noon-day, and her grandmother had never appeared so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.
In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth leaning against the wall; she had been frozen to death on the last evening of the year; and the New Year’s sun rose and shone upon a little corpse! The child still sat, in the stiffness of death, holding the matches in her hand, one bundle of which was burnt. “She tried to warm herself,” said some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New Year’s Day.

By Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875).

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The Western Church celebrates January 6th as Epiphany. If at Christmas the Church celebrates the Word of God manifested in flesh, at Epiphany the Church celebrates the Word made flesh manifested to the nations. In 567 AD the Council of Tours declared the 12 days between Christmas & Epiphany to be 1 unified festal cycle.
Traditionally, Epiphany commemorates 3 events: the Visit of the Magi in Bethelehem, the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, & the 1st miracle at the wedding in Cana. Since 1950 the commemoration of the baptism of Jesus has been celebrated the next Sunday after 6 January and the 1st miracle the 2nd Sunday after 6 January (only in the year C).
Epiphany marks the end of Christmas although officially the Church calendar extends the celebration until February 2nd (40 days after Christmas, that is the Presentation of Baby Jesus in the Temple.

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The Visit of the Magi

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the Child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising, and have come to pay Him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd My people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the Magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:1-12)

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We 3 Kings

We 3 Kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field & fountain, moor & mountain,
Following yonder star.

Refrain:
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Balthazar:
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign. Ref

Gaspar:
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer & praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high. Ref

Melchior:
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb. Ref

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King & God & sacrifice;
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Sounds through the earth & skies. Ref

By John H. Hopkins (1857).

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As with Gladness Men of Old

As with gladness, men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright
So, most glorious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude & bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure & free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
&, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Hallelujahs to our King!

Words by William C. Dix (1860), music by Konrad Kocher (1838).

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The Baptism of Jesus, which is celebrated on the next Sunday after 6 January is 1 of the 3 events commemorated at Epiphany.
The glory of Christ as the incarnation of Word of God made known to public display is at the heart of Epiphany. Just as the Magi beheld Christ's glory as a star, at His baptism, St John the Baptist beheld His glory as the Only Son of God, as the Father confirmed this with His words & Spirit.

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The Baptism of Jesus

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)

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The Son of Man from Jordan Rose

The Son of Man from Jordan rose,
& prayed to God above;
When lo, the opening Heav’ns disclose
A swift descending Dove.

The Spirit, lighting on His brow,
Anoints the Holy One;
The Father’s voice declaring, “Thou
Art My belovèd Son.”

So when, through His baptizing blessed
The Font new birth conveys,
Man kneels a son of God confessed,
Heav’n opens as He prays.

Fair innocency, like the Dove’s,
Invests him, purged from sin;
For God the brooding Spirit moves,
Directs & rules within.

O Christ, Whose mercy cleansed our stain
With streams of grace divine,
Let us not soil the robes again
Made white in blood of Thine.

Redeemer of a world undone,
We praise Thee & adore,
Jesus, with God the Father One,
& Spirit evermore.

By Nicholas Le Turneaux (1686).

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The 1st miracle at the wedding in Cana is the last event to be celebrated at Epiphany. Poetically the liturgy of Epiphany uses the image of water the same way Jesus does in "St John's Gospel". The story of Jesus performing His 1st miracle at the wedding in Cana in galilee unfoldss the symbol of water 1 turn further. Wine was a symbol of spiritual water. The Hebrew word for living water also means flowing water. Wine has its own interior flow or life.
Jesus' reply to His mother is that His hour has not yet come, & He turns water into wine. Later when His hour has come, wine is turned into His blood to bring us salvation.

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The First Miracle

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to You and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (John 2:1-11)

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post by hansel @ WG

Selanjutnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2004/01/christmas-anthology-6-9-dari-9-habis.html

Christmas Anthology (4 dari 9)

Sebelumnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2003/12/christmas-anthology-3-dari-9.html


The Genealogy of Jesus

An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)

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The Annunciation

In the sixth month the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 He came to her and said, "Hail, the favoured one! The Lord is with you." She was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The archangel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and in His kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the archangel, "How can this be, since I know not a man?" The archangel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy; the Son of God. Even your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word." Then the archangel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

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The Visitation

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zachary and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." (Luke 1:39-45)

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Magnificat

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden. Henceforeth all generations shall 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 forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56)

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Christmas recipe:

Plum Pudding

Ingredients:

15 g melted butter, 25 g soft brown sugar
1 large can of plums, 125 g margarine
125 g caster sugar, 125 g self-raising flour
2 eggs and a pinch of salt

Methods:

Melt the butter over a low heat and brush the inside of a non-stick cake tin. Sprinkle soft brown sugar inside the tin. Line the bottom of the cake tin with the plums which should be sliced in half and have the stones removed, pressing firmly so that the plums stick well.

Mix the margarine, caster sugar, self-raising flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. When the mixture is soft and creamy pour it carefully into the tin (we used a loose-bottomed tin) and spread it flat.

Cook for approximately 40 minutes at 180°C or Gas Mark 4. To test it put a knife into the cake and if it comes out clean, it's ready. Turn it out carefully using a plate. Serve Plum Pudding hot with custard or cream for a treat

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The Nativity

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, his bethroted, who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Be not afraid! For behold, I bring you good tidings of a great joy which will be for all people. Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in swathing bands and 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those His favour rests!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:1-20)

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While Shepherds Watched Their Flock

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.


“Fear not!” said she, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign.

“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song:

“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease!”

By Nahum Tate (1700).

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"Hymn on the Morning of Christ's Nativity"

It was the winter wild,
While the Heav'n-born-child,
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;
Nature in awe to Him
Had doff't her gawdy trim,
With her great Master so to sympathize:
It was no season then for her
To wanton with the sun her lusty paramour.
Only with speeches fair
She woo's the gentle air
To hide her guilty front with innocent snow,
And on her naked shame,
Pollute with sinfull blame,
The saintly veil of maiden white to throw,
Confounded, that her Makers eyes
Should look so neer upon her foul deformities.

But he her fears to cease,
Sent down the meek-eyed Peace,
She crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphear
His ready harbinger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,
And waving wide her mirtle wand,
She strikes a universall peace through sea and land.

No war, or battles sound
Was heard the World around,
The idle spear and shield were high up hung;
The hooked chariot stood
Unstain'd with hostile blood,
The trumpet spake not to the armed throng,
And kings sat still with awful eye,
As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.

But peacefull was the night
Wherin the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began:
The winds with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kist,
Whispering new joys to the mild ocean,
Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmeed wave.

The stars with deep amaze
Stand fixt in stedfast gaze,
Bending one way their pretious influence,
And will not take their flight,
For all the morning light,
Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;
But in their glimmering Orbs did glow,
Untill their Lord Himself bespake, and bid them go.

And though the shady gloom
Had given day her room,
The sun himself with-held his wonted speed,
And hid his head for shame,
As his inferiour flame,
The new enlightn'd world no more should need;
He saw a greater Sun appear
Then his bright throne, or burning axltree could bear.

The shepherds on the Lawn,
Or ere the point of dawn,
Sat simply chatting in a rustick row;
Full little thought they than,
That the mighty Pan
Was kindly com to live with them below;
Perhaps their loves, or els their sheep,
Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep.

When such music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,
As never was by mortal finger stroock,
Divinely-warbled voice
Answering the stringed noise,
As all their souls in blisfull rapture took
The air such pleasure loth to lose,
With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close.

Nature that heard such sound
Beneath the hollow round
Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling,
Now was almost won
To think her part was don,
And that her reign had here its last fulfilling;
She knew such harmony alone
Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.

At last surrounds their sight
A globe of circular light,
That with long beams the shame-fac't night array'd,
The helmed cherubim
And sworded seraphim,
Are seen in glittering ranks with wings displayed,
Harping in loud and solemn quire,
With unexpressive notes to heav'ns new-born Heir.

Such music (as 'tis said)
Before was never made,
But when of old the sons of morning sung,
While the Creator Great
His constellations set,
And the well-ballanc't world on hinges hung,
And cast the dark foundations deep,
And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.

Ring out ye crystall sphears,
Once bless our human ears,
(If ye have power to touch our senses so)
And let your silver chime
Move in melodious time;
And let the base of heav'ns deep organ blow
And with your ninefold harmony
Make up full consort to the angelic symphony.

For if such holy song
Enwrapt our fancy long,
Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,
And speckl'd vanity
Will sicken soon and die,
And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould,
And hell it self will pass away,
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.

Yea Truth, and Justice then
Will down return to men,
Th'enameld arras of the rain[color=sky blue]b[/color]ow wearing,
And Mercy set between,
Thron'd in celestial sheen,
With radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing,
And heav'n as at som festivall,
Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.

But wisest Fate says no,
This must not yet be so,
The Babe lies yet in smiling infancy,
That on the bitter cross
Must redeem our loss;
So both Himself and us to glorify:
Yet first to those chain'd in sleep,
The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep,

With such a horrid clang
As on mount Sinai rang
While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake:
The aged earth agast
With terror of that blast,
Shall from the surface to the center shake;
When at the world's last session,
The dreadful Judge in mid air shall spread His throne.

And then at last our bliss
Full and perfect is,
But now begins; for from this happy day
Th'old Dragon under ground
In straiter limits bound,
Not half so far casts his usurped sway,
And wrath to see his kingdom fail,
Swindges the scaly horror of his foulded tail.

The oracles are dumbed,
No voice or hideous hum
Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
Apollo from his shrine
Can no more divine,
With hollow shreek the steep of Delphos leaving.
No nightly trance, or breathed spell,
Inspired the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell.

The lonely mountains o're,
And the resounding shore,
A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament;
From haunted spring, and dale
Edg'd with poplar pale,
The parting genius is with sighing sent,
With flowering wov'n tresses torn
The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn.

In consecrated earth,
And on the holy hearth,
The lars, and lemures moan with midnight plaint,
In urns, and altars round,
A drear, and dying sound
Affrights the flamins at their service quaint;
And the chill marble seems to sweat,
While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat

Peor, and Baal,
Forsake their temples dim,
With that twise-batter'd god of Palestine,
And mooned Ashtaroth,
Heav'ns queen and mother both,
Now sits not girt with tapers holy shine,
The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn,
In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded [color=sky blue]Thammuz[/color] mourn.

And sullen Moloch fled,
Hath left in shadows dred,
His burning idol all of blackest hue,
In vain with cymbals ring,
They call the grisly king,
In dismall dance about the furnace blue;
The brutish gods of Nile as fast,
Isis and Horus, and the dog Anubis hast.

Nor is Osiris seen
In Memphian grove, or green,
Trampling the unshowr'd grass with lowings loud:
Nor can he be at rest
Within his sacred chest,
Naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud,
In vain with timbrel'd anthems dark
The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipped ark.

He feels from Judah's Land
The dredded Infant's hand,
The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn;
Nor all the gods beside,
Longer dare abide,
Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine:
Our Babe to shew His Godhead true,
Can in His swadling bands controul the damned crew.

So when the sun in bed,
Curtain'd with cloudy red,
Pillows His chin upon an orient wave,
The flocking shadows pale,
Troop to th'infernall jail,
Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave,
And the yellow-skirted fays,
Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd maze.

But see the Virgin blest,
Hath laid her Babe to rest.
Time is our tedious song should here have ending,
Heav'ns youngest teemed Star,
Hath fixt her polished car,
Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending:
And all about the courtly stable,
Bright-harnest nngels sit in order serviceable.

By John Milton (1608-1674).

__________________

Little Jack Horner
Sat on a corner
Eating his Christmas pie

He put in his thumb
& pull out a plum
& said, "What a good boy am I!"

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Christmas recipe:

Mince Pies

Ingredients:

12 slices of medium white bread
12 tsp mincemeat
50 g butter
25 g fine brown sugar

Methods:

You will need 2 biscuit cutters- the 7 cm and 5 cm size are ideal. Cut out a large and small circle from each slice of bread.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and lightly brush each large circle. Coat both sides and around the edges. Push each circle into a bun tin to form the base of the mince pies. There is no need to grease the tin as the bread is already coated with butter.

Put a teaspoonful of mincemeat into each of pies bases.

Lightly brush the smaller bread circles with butter. Dip one side of each into fine brown sugar. Place each circle on top of the mincemeat, sugar side up.

Place the bun tin in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 or 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until the pies turn golden brown.

Empty the bun tray and place the mince pies on a cooling rack.



_________________

Christmas is here,
The goose is getting fat
Put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you don't have a penny.
A ha-penny will do.
If you don't have a ha-penny,
Then God bless you!

Anonymous

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Christmas recipe:

Christmas Crackers

Ingredients:

8 sheets of filo pastry (you can buy it fresh or frozen)
50g of hard cheese
8 premium sausages (any variety: lamb, pork, beef or vegetarian)
Melted butter for brushing
Chives (optional)

Methods:

Cut the filo pastry sheets into halves and set aside on a cool surface. Then grate the cheese.

Slit the skins of the sausages (if they have a skin - veggie sausages might not) and remove the filling into a bowl. It's a good idea to ask an adult to help you cut open the skin, it can be a bit tricky.

Add the cheese and, if you like, add a few finely chopped chives. Mix everything together.

Roughly divide the mixture into 16 portions and shape them back into small sausages. Place each portion in the middle of the filo squares and roll up. Gently squeeze and twist each end to give it a cracker shape and stop the filling coming out.

Place the crackers on a non-stick baking sheet and brush them with a little melted butter. Then, put the tray in a preheated oven (200 degrees celsius or gas mark 6). They take about ten minutes to cook and should turn a golden brown.

To finish off, twist a little strip of chives round each end of the cracker and serve hot or cold.


post by hansel @ WG
Berikutnya
http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2004/01/christmas-anthology-5-dari-9.html

Christmas Anthology (3 dari 9)

sebelumnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2003/12/christmas-anthology-2-dari-9.html



Santa Claus' FAQ

Who is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus has a variety of different names in different languages, but they all refer to the person of St Nicholas who was born many centuries ago in the 4th century (born c 245 AD, and died c 350 AD, various sources list various dates) in Lycia, Anatolia, a province on the southwest coast of Asia Minor (present day Turkey). He was born in Patara, a seaport. St Nicholas became a bishop of the church at Myra. Few documents exist which mention him, however legends of his generosity exist throughout most churches. Thousands of churches in the Middle Ages were dedicated to him.

St Nicholas performed a number of miracles, all associated with gift giving. His feast day was December 6, so think of St Nicholas on December 6th and December 25th.

In 1823, Clement C. Moore wrote "A Visit from St Nicholas", which showed Santa Claus driving a sleight drawn by 'eight tiny reindeer" and in doing so he created an image we all have today. Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus based on Moore's description cementing in this image.

The probable origins of various traditions which then spread around the world:
Gifts: St Nicholas (gift giver) and the Magi (the three wise men/Persian Priests from Orient bringing gifts for Jesus) and from pagan (Roman) Saturnalia custom.
Reindeer: reindeer are from the north (e.g.: Finland) and they are cute, Santa needed transportation
Chimney: St Nicholas legend (see below). Also, in England and the United states Santa comes secretly and so the entrance must be secret and easy to use without the help of adults. In Germany and Scandinavia often Santa comes through the door.
North Pole: America's Father Christmas dwells there, it is a winter festival, Santa Claus needed somewhere to live
Hat: bishop's mitre of St Nicholas, the headgear of the Magi, and perhaps the Phrygian headgear of the French Revolution.
Beard: St Nicholas, the Magi are bearded, white because of age.
Costume: cloak from St Nicholas, and perhaps the Magi. The fur probably added to fit the Northern legend.
Sock: hung by the chimney to dry and they make a good repository for presents.
Candles (and now lights) symbolize or were part of: paradise, end of the days getting shorter, warmth, summer, Jewish Hanukkah, festiveness, keeping the darkness at bay
Holly: Christ's crown of thorns and others
Gnomes: pagan (some celebrations)
Straw: stable and crib, readily available, pagan
Christmas Crib: Jesus' stable in Bethlehem. Legend says it was started by St Francis of Assisi.
Red, green, and white colors: green came from evergreen trees (e.g.: fir & holly), red from holly berries, red and white also from the bishop's mitre and cape worn in religious ceremonies by St Nicholas, white from the snow seen on evergreen's during the holiday season, white from St Nicholas's beard, and white from the light of the Star seen over the stable. Red may also have come from pagan ceremonies.
Cookies and milk being left out for Santa Claus: the modern Christmas tree tradition came from western Germany, from a medieval custom, as a paradise tree- a tree decorated with apples, wafers & cookies. When the paradise tree merged with Christianity and became part of the Christmas celebration cookies and wafers were still part of the decorations. As time passed Santa would often snack on a decoration (to keep in shape!). Children (and perhaps parents) noticed that there were decorations that had been snacked on (although in old times the snacking was done by mice too) and so began leaving them out on plates by the fire- partially to keep them close to Santa's entrance and partially to keep the mice away. Homes that did not use wafers or cookies thought it would be nice to leave out something for me to munch on too after hearing stories from other families about how much Santa enjoyed their cookies. Eventually fewer and fewer people decorated the tree with food but wanted to keep up the tradition of leaving something for Santa Claus. Eventually the origin was lost to common knowledge, but we have included it with the FAQ now. As for the milk, it was only natural that people would be considerate enough to leave milk with the cookies!
Why is Santa 'heavy'? Well, if you read the information about the cookies and milk above you'll see why [b]Santa used to be shown as thinner than he is now- not everyone used to leave out cookies for him!

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What is a legend of St Nicholas?

There are many legends of St Nicholas, but this is the most famous legend and it includes elements of today's Santa

A nobleman who lived with his three daughters had fallen on hard times. The daughters had no chance of marriage, since their father could not pay their dowries. He even thought of putting his daughters into prostitution.

One night, St Nicholas threw a sack of gold through a window of the nobleman's shabby castle, which was enough for one daughter's marriage. The next night, he tossed another sack of gold through the window for the second daughter.

But on the third night, the window was closed. So, St Nicholas climbed onto the roof and dropped the sack down the chimney. The next morning, the daughters found the gold in the stockings they had hung to dry by the fireplace.

Hence leaving the stockings out for Santa Claus.

What other names is Santa Claus or Father Christmas known by?

Weihnachtsmann in Germany for Christmas Man
Kris Kringle from the southern Germany Christkindle, meaning Christ child. This mutated in some areas of the world into a name for Santa Claus.
Pere Noel in France
Papa Noel in many Spanish speaking countries
Sinter Claus (or Sinterklaas, Sinte Klaas) in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (now New York City)
Other variations of his name range from Sant Nikolaas to Sante Klaas.
The Italian Befana is a similar figure as is Russia's grandmotherly Babouschka which actually means grandmother.
Denmark he's called Julemanden(Christmas Man)
Joulupukki (Yule Buck), evolved from the Christmas Goat used to frighten children in Finland. Korvatunturi (Mount Ear, near Polar Circle) is often portrayed as his home. The children see Santa and he asks if they have been good.
Nicholas of Bari.
Nicholas of Myra

Is St Nicholas patron saint of anyone?

Yes! St Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia, of children, and of sailors. He also has been patron saint of Moscow, Greece, prisoners, bakers, pawnbrokers, shopkeepers and wolves.

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Jolly Old St Nicholas

Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
Tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve,
When I'm fast asleep,
Down the chimney broad and black,
With your pack you'll creep;
All the stockings you will find
Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one,
You'll be sure to know.

Johnny wants a pair of skates;
Susy wants a dolly;
Nellie wants a story book;
She thinks dolls are folly;
As for me, my little brain
Isn't very bright;
Choose for me, old Santa Claus,
What you think is right.

Wilfred Carter ??? (???)

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The Peasants and the Saints

St Nicholas, whose feast day is celebrated on 6 December, was famed for his kindness. He is the inspiration of Santa Claus. In this Russian folktalee collected from Yarosalvl province, his clemency contrasts with the punitive anger of the Prophet Elijah

There was once a peasant who loved St Nicholas but had no time for the Prophet Elijah.
He would devoutly light a candle before the icon of St Nicholas on his feast day, but when the Prophet's festival came around he went about his business as usual, going out into the fields when he should have been observing the holiday.
1 day the Prophet Elijah & St Nicholas were walking together & happened to cross the field farmed by the peasant. St Nicholas remarked on the tall crops that promised a bumper harvest but the Prophet Elijah muttered angrily that he had no intention of letting the peasant harvest the grain- he would send hailstorms & lightning blasts to flatten the field.
St Nicholas went to the peasant & advised him to sell the crops to the priest of the village church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. The peasant did as he was told. Within a week, a hailstorm had devastated the peasant's field.
The next time the Saint & the Prophet were passing the field, Elijah boasted that he had taken revenge on the disrespectful peasant, but Nicholas pointed out that the blow had fallen not on the peasant but on Elijah's own priest. The Prophet immediately vowed to restore the field to its former glory.
On hearing this, St Nicholas visited the peasant again & told him to buy the field back; the priest was only too happy to sell it.
Over the next weeks a miracle occurred. The Prophet Elijah sent sunshine & gentle rains & the field sprouted a new crop of tall rye- as if a golden rug had been flung across it.
When Elijah proudly showed his handiwork to Nicholas, only to learn that he'd been tricked again, he flew into fury.
He promised that no matter how many sheaves the peasant put on the threshing floor, they wouldn't yield a single grain.
St Nicholas now told the peasant to thresh 1 sheaf at a time, & by doing this the man was able to amass a vast store of grain- so much that he had to bulid new barns.
When the Prophet Elijah saw this, he accused the Saint of helping the peasant & he didn't deny it. The Prophet laughed but he wouldn't tell the Saintwhat he would do next.
The Saint flew to the peasant & gave him 1 last piece of advice.
The very next day St Nicholas & the Prophet Elijah, disguissed as poor pilgrims, met the peasant on the road near his field. He was carrying 1 large & 1 small candle. When the Saint asked him where he was going, the man said he planned to light the large candle before an icon of the Prophet Elijah for having given him such a wonderful crops, while the small candle for St Nicholas. The Prophet Elijah was finally pacified & from that day onward the peasant honoured both the Prophet & the Saint & lived a fine & contented life.

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Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
(reindeer)
Had a very shiny nose
(like a light bulb)
And if you ever saw it
(saw it)
You would even say it glows
(like a flash light)
All of the other reindeer
(reindeer)
Used to laugh and call him names
(like bozzo)
They never let poor Rudolph
(Rudolph)
Join in any reindeer games
(like monopoly)

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
(Ho Ho Ho)
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Then all the reindeer loved him
(loved him)
And they shouted out with glee
(yippee)
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
(reindeer)
You'll go down in history!"
(like Columbus)

Johnny Marks (1949)

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"My Naughty Little Sister"

In this delightful My Naughty Little Sister series, Dorothy Edwards recalls her own mischievous and lively childhood in the 1950s English suburb as she herself takes the role of big sister, who is the narrator of this story. This charming particular episode tells her encounter with Father Christmas in a school Christmas party and how she behaved.

This is such a terrible story about my naughty little sister that I hardly know how to tell it to you. It is about one Christmas-time.
Now, my naughty little sister was very pleased when Christmas began to draw near, because she liked all the excitement of the plum-puddings and the turkeys, and the crackers and the holly, and all the Christmassy-looking shops, but there was one very awful thing about her- she didn't like to think about Father Christmas at all- she said he was a horrid old man!
There- I know you would be shocked at that. But she did. And she said she wouldn't put up her stocking for him.
My mother told my naughty little sister what a good old man Father Christmas was, and how he brought the toys along on Christmas Eve, but my naughty little sister said, "I don't care. And I don't want that nasty old man coming to our house."
Well now, that was enough, wasn't it? But the really dreadful thing happened later on.
This is the dreadful thing: one day, my school-teacher said that a Father Christmas would be coming to the school to bring presents for all the children, and my teacher said that the Father Christmas would have toys for all our little brothers and sisters as well, if they cared to come along for them. She said that there would be a real Christmas-tree with candles on it, and sweeties and cups of tea and biscuits for our mothers.
Wasn't that a nice thought? Well now, when I told my little sister about the Christmas-tree, she said, "Oh, nice!"
And when I told her about the sweeties she said, "very, very nice!" But when I told her about the Father Christmas, she said, "Don't want him, nasty old man."
Still, my mother said, "You can't go to the Christmas-tree without seeing him, so if you don't want to see him all that much, you wil have to stay at home."
But my naughty little sister did want to go, very much, so she said, "I will go, and when the horrid Father Christmas comes in, I will close my eyes."
So, we all went to the Christmas-tree together, my mother, and I, and my naughty little sister.
When we got to the school, my naughty little sister was very pleased to see all the pretty paperchains that we had mad ein school hanging all around the classrooms, and when she saw all the little lanterns, and the holly and all the robin-redbreast drawings pinned on the blackboards she smiled and smiled. She was very smily at first
All the mothers, and the little brothers and sisters who were too young for school, sat down in chairs and desks, and all the big school children acted a play for them.
My naughty little sister was very excited to see all the children dressed up as angels and robins and elves and Bo-peeps and things, and she clapped her hands very hard, like all the grown-ups did, to show that she was enjoying herself. And she still smiled.
Then, when some of the teachers came round with bags of sweets, tied up in pretty coloured paper, my naughty little sister smiled even more, and she sang too when all the children sang. She sang "Away in a Manger", because she knew the words very well. When she didn't know the words of some of the singing she 'la-la'd'.
After all the singing, the teachers put out the lights, and took away a big screen from a corner of the room, and there was the christmas-tree, all lit up with candles and shining with silvery stuff, and little shiny coloured balls. There were lots of toys on the tree, and all the children cheered and clapped.
Then the teachers put the lights on again, and blew out the candles so thatw e could all go and look at the tree. My little sister went too. She looked at the tree, and she looked at the toys, and she saw a specially nice doll with a blue dress on, she said, "For me."
My mother said, "You must wait and see what you are given."
Then the teachers called out, "Back to your seats everyone, we have a visitor coming." So all the children went back to their seats, and sat still and waited and listened.
And, as we waited and listened, we heard a tinkle-tinkle bell noise, and then the schoolroom door opened, and in walked the Father Christmas. My naughty little sister had forgotten all bout him, so she hadn't time to close her eyes before he walked in. However, when she saw him, my little sister stopped smiling and began to be stubborn.

Dorothy Edwards (1952)

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"My Naughty Little Sister"

The Father Christmas was very nice. He said he hoped we were having a good time, and we all said. "Yes," except my naughty little sister- she didn't say a thing.
Then he said, "Now, one at a time, children, and I will give each one of you a toy."
So, first of all each schoolchild went up for a toy, and my naughty litlle sister still didn't shut her eyes because she weanted to see who was going to have the specially nice doll in the blue dress. But none of the school children had it.
Then Father Christmas began to call the little brothers and sisters up for presents, and, as he didn't know their names, he just said, "Come along, sonny," if it were a boy, and "come along, girlie," if it were a girl. The Father Christmas let the little brothers and sisters choose their own toys off the tree.
When my naughty little sister saw this, she was so worried about the specially nice doll, that she thought that she would just go up and get it.
She said, "I don't like that horrid old beardy man, but I do like that nice doll."
So, my naughty little sister got up without being asked to, and she went right out to the front where the Father Christmas was standing, and she said, "That doll, please," and pointed to the doll she wanted.
The Father Christmas laughed and all the teachers laughed, and the other mothers and the schoolchildren, and all the little brothers and sisters. My mother did not laugh because she was so shocked to see my naughty little sister going out without being asked to.
The Father Christmas took the specially nice doll off the tree, and he ahnded it to my naughty little sister and he said, "Well now, I hear you don't like me very much, but won't you just shake hands?" And my naughty little sister said, "No." But she took the doll all the same.
The Father Christmas put out his nice old han for her to shake and be friends, and do you know what that naughty bad girl did? She bit his hands. She really and truly did Can you think of anything more dreadful and terrible? She bit Father Christmas' good old hand, and then she turned and ran and ran out of the school with all the children staring after her, and her doll held very tight in her arms.
The Father Christmas was very nice. He said it wasn't a hard bite, only a frightened one, and he made all teh children sing songs together.
When my naughty little sister was brought back by my mother, she said she was very sorry, and the Father Christmas said, "That's all right, old lady," and because he was so smily and nice to her, my funny little sister went right up to him, and gave him a big 'sorry' kiss which pleased him very much.
And she hung her stocking up after all, and that kind man remember to fill it for her.
My little sister kept the specially nice doll until she was quite grown-up. She called it Rosy-primrose, and although she was sometimes bad-tempered with it, she really loved it very much indeed.

Dorothy Edwards (1952)

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Menyambut St Lucy's Day

From the time immemorial the people of Sweden have kept 13 December- the day when the sun stands still- as a festival of light. They knew that after this darkest day of the year (winter solstice)* the sun would return & the days lengthen.
When monks brought the Christian faith to Sweden a story of St Lucy, a Christian girl in the Sicilian town of Syracuse who suffered martyrdom under the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, was narrated to them. It was said that St Lucy, whose name meant light (Latin: lux), brought to her fellow Christians hiding in the catacombs, wearing lighted candles on her head to leave her hands free.
So the pagan festival of light was given a new meaning & transformed into the Feast of St Lucy, held also in 13 December.
Early in the morning the girl chosen as St Lucy, 1 of the daughters in the family, steals quietly from bed & dresses in a white gown with red sash.
She arranges a crown of green leaves on her head to which are attached 5 tall white candles.
With great care she carries a tray of coffee & saffron cakes to the rest of the family still snug in bed. She usually sings them a special song in honour of St Lucy.
Town & villages, schools, offices, & factories have their own St Lucy & there is also an official St Lucy who visits children in hospitals & children's hoems.
Swedish settlers have taken their customs to the USA.

*)In the ancient time the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere didn't fall on 22 December as it does now but on 24 December, just as the summer solstice fell on 24 June, not on 21 June as it does now. When the Gregorian calendar reforms were instituted in the 17th century, St Lucy's Day shifted backward by 11 days to 13 Decembe.r

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"A Nocturnall upon St Lucies Day"

'Tis the yeares midnight, and it is the dayes,
Lucies, who scarce seaven houres herself unmaskes,
The Sunne is spent, and now his flasks
Send forth light squibs, no constant rayes;
The worlds whole sap is sunke:
The generall balme th'hydroptique earth hath drunk,
Whither, as to the beds-feet, life is shrunke,
Dead and enterr'd; yet all these seeme to laugh,
Compar'd with mee, who am their Epitaph.

Study me then, you who shall lovers bee
At the next world, that is, at the next Spring:
For I am every dead thing,
In whom love wrought new Alchimie.
For his art did expresse
A quintessence even from nothingnesse,
From dull privations, and leane emptinesse:
He ruin'd mee, and I am re-begot
Of absence, darknesse, death; things which are not.

All others, from all things, draw all that's good,
Life, soule, forme, spirit, whence they beeing have;
I, by loves limbecke, am the grave
Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood
Have wee two wept, and so
Drownd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow
To be two Chaosses, when we did show
Care to ought else; and often absences
Withdrew our soules, and made us carcasses.

But I am by her death, (which word wrongs her)
Of the first nothing, the Elixer grown;
Were I a man, that I were one,
I needs must know; I should preferre,
If I were any beast,
Some ends, some means; Yea plants, yea stones detest,
And love; All, all some properties invest;
If I an ordinary nothing were,
As shadow, a light, and body must be here.

But I am None; nor will my Sunne renew.
You lovers, for whose sake, the lesser Sunne
At this time to the Goat is runne
To fetch new lust, and give it you,
Enjoy your summer all;
Since shee enjoyes her long nights festivall,
Let mee prepare towards her, and let mee call
This houre her Vigill, and her Eve, since this
Both the yeares, and the dayes deep midnight is.

By John Donne (1572-1631)

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post by hansel @ WG

berikutnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2003/12/christmas-anthology-4-dari-9.html