BORN UNDER THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

 

THE GREEK ORTHODOX OF AMERICA : AND THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

GOARCH : THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM This article by Rev. Dr. Eugen J. Pentiuc, who is Archbishop Demetrios Professor of Biblical Studies and Early Christianity and Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. explores the controversy and includes some notions based on modern astronomy but also takes in the Jewish prophecy.

Excerpts: Nevertheless, in a continuous and thrill-driven rush for a scientifically accurate and definitive identification of the “star of Bethlehem,” we are often inclined to overlook some important prophecies of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), prophecies which would place securely the New Testament proclamation (kerygma), in our case the episode of the “star” travelling along with the magi from the East, in its cultural-religious setting so necessary to understand the gospel narratives that refer to natural phenomena or historical events by wrapping them up in the time-honored, mystically smelling / perfumed garment of old prophecies. ...

The case in point for such a scriptural contextualization of the “star of Bethlehem” is an old prophecy found in the book of Numbers—a prophecy that was traditionally labeled as “The Star of Jacob.” ... According to Matthew 2:11, the three magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Each gift was telling Jesus’ fate on earth from a particular viewpoint: Gold indicated that he would be a king; frankincense that he would be a God; and myrrh that he would die, emphasizing his humanity.

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I'm not too familiar with the differences between Roman and Greek Catholic theology, but I do know that Greek Catholic means the missionaries who brought Christianity to certain ethnicities were from Greece, which is reflected also in the recognized saints and sometimes the names given to children in baptism...

VENI VENI EMMANUEL : ZOLTAN KODALY

JESUS PULSING WITH LIGHT

A friend sent me this Sacred Heart of Jesus.  I think the origin of it is somewhere in Poland.

THE RISEN JESUS

 

EASTER

 

OH COME LET US ADORE HIM

 

GETTING UP TO SPEED FOR THE NEW YEAR

This past holiday season was a bit unusual for me because I joined up with a relatives huge family celebration that included new traditions they had adopted over the years and since I'd last seen them all.  This included a birthday cake for Jesus that included candles, the children singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, and one of them blowing the candles out: of course this included the trick candles that refuse to blow out the first and second try.

(Seems no one is ever concerned about breath on cake tops being germ-filled!)

My memory of this family was that everyone watched the Pope say Mass from Rome on a cable station and then opened presents.  My memory was also of there being turkey, ham, and lasagna, plus many platters and tins full of desert cookies and cakes.  Well, there was no watching the Pope say Mass and they had gotten into healthier and more minimalistic holiday eating, but one of the daughters spends an afternoon making several of grandma's cookie recipes so was carrying on some of the tradition.

About a week before the holiday we went to the cemetery to decorate the graves for Christmas, totally new to me.  The Italian branch of the family had also put photos of the person in the grave on the gravestones.  The extreme expensive of burial these days has me quite concerned.  I don't think I will be.  I'm feeling pretty sure I'll be cremated and there is a spot on earth where I would like a simple cardboard box of ashes to be buried.  When we got to this cemetery though I was surprised to see so many families out decorating the burials, and when I saw the burial for a child that included an entire decorated fake Christmas tree I felt some tears come to my eyes.

Soon after this visit I and everyone else got sick - be it allergies, sinus, the flu, a virus, an infection, we were all coughing, hacking, exhausted, and sleeping too much or up all night.

So I'm still trying to step on the gas and get up to full speed for the New Year - 2018!

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ONE OF MY CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Like many Americans of Hungarian ancestry, I also have Slovak and Germans in Hungary relatives.

One of my Aunts was of Slovak heritage.  We used to stop by her house to visit during the holidays, if only for a couple hours, as we had so very many relations to visit.  Under her tree was a statue.  It was Santa Claus, in red suit, hat in hand, as he knelt down to visit the newborn Jesus.  My aunt had it there to remind her children that Jesus was more important than Santa Claus.

THE CULT OF MARY : THE FOCUS IS ON ONE PARTICULAR CULT : MAGYAR AMERICAN FILM REVIEW

MEDJUGORJE ORG


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - THE CULT OF MARY

I was disappointed in this Documentary from National Geographic, but maybe it's because I expected a broader meaning of the world CULT.  This one focused on a particular cult associated with the years long visions of Mary and devotion to her in Medjugorgie.  Now, I'm afraid of cults because I've known people who got into them and never seemed to get out.  It was clear they had gone through some sort of dramatic change in which they turned their backs on everything they used to believe.  However, while the particular group that this film focused on does seem to have cult features, most likely what came first is a person's utter devotion to Blessed Mother of Jesus, Mary.  Some people are concerned that since Mary is not considered divine, that this is displaced loyalty, since the focus should be Jesus.


That said, consider all the people in the world who are not Christians of any sort and how weird they must think Christians are.  It's easy for Non-Catholic Christians to condemn any sort of saint worship.  There are those who think that even Jesus is a small player in the Great scheme of things, that prayer is to go directly to his Father, GOD.


Ah well, this cult is tame compared to what you've read about Scientology.  People give up everything they own and are to spend most of their days in the worship of Mary, along with some every day work, just like so many orders of Nuns, Priests, Sisters, Monks, Monastics.
There is a long tradition of that.  The people are not locked up.  They can drive away.  They don't. So what we're talking about is not wanting to or fearing it. 

So why didn't national Geographic properly title this DVD to be something like "A Blessed Mother Cult in Medjugorgie."  because this is NOT a film about the worship of Mary throughout Catholicism, nor does it discuss other cults, or other Holy Orders who have spent much of their time in prayer, meditation, or Gregorian chants.


As a side, there is also a film bonus called "The Secret Lives of Jesus."  I'm not one to think that if Jesus did spend time in India learning from Hindus or Buddhists there before he began his preaching at age 30, that it's a bad thing.  However, after the Dan Brown fiction novels that so many Catholic haters have referenced, thinking the fiction is fact, I'm sensitive to the issue of Catholic's being understood accurately.

C 2016  All Rights Reserved

EASTER

BABY JESUS AND MOTHER MARY

CLEVELAND HUNGARIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM PRESENTS CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

TIME TO WRITE YOUR LETTERS TO JESUS !

Linking here to the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Museum's information on Christmas Traditions in Hungary. Christmas remains a religious holiday, not taken over by Santa Claus! (This image is from their web page!)