Sunday, December 6, 2015

Hanukkah

Besides being the Second Sunday of Advent and the feast of St. Nicholas (that's the guy in the icon in today's wordless post), today -- well, this evening -- is the beginning of Hanukkah [or Chanukah.]

At this season of the year, I like to point out that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, as indicated in John 10:22-23 -- At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.

So whatever you and yours may be celebrating, may your day be filled with light and peace, and may we work to make a world of light and peace for all people.

6 comments:

John Going Gently said...

Ditto me old son

Ur-spo said...

I continually struggle with Advent for I light my purple candles (pink one too) but this doesn't evoke excitement of premonition. It evokes anxiety - oh my ! Christmas is coming and look at all I haven't done/need to do. It feels like an hourglass running out of sand and get to it NOW. I wish it were otherwise.

Michael Dodd said...

I do not wish to advocate anxiety, Dr. Spo, but since Advent is for Christians a reminder that the Messiah will come again in judgment, I think it is supposed to make one realize that one needs to get to whatever-needs-to-be-done now.
The old joke: The monsignor ran into the bishop's office and cried, "Look out the window! The Lord is coming in glory with all his angels! What should we do?"
The bishop said, "Look busy!"

Anonymous said...

One of my cousins is Jewish. One of the implications of this is that on Christmas day he always spends it with my family because he has no conflicting other family commitments.
Kato

Michael Dodd said...

This year we will be spending the holidays mostly at Tom's Jewish daughter and her family's home. Hanukkah will be over, however, and we will be there for Christmas. As a family, it is quite a mixed bag: Jewish, Protestant and Orthodox Christians (maybe), at least one committed atheist and a couple of at-best agnostics.

Anonymous said...

Your family sounds a bit like mine. Unfortunately not all parts are on speaking terms.
My twin brother is a conservative Anglican priest. Before our little sister died of an overdose she worked as a prostitute. Life is textured.
My sons are still little and impressionable.