God's Birthday

                                                 Christmas and God's Birthday

       Is December 25 really the true date of Christ's birth?

Was December 25 chosen to replace pagan celebrations like Saturnalia or Natalis Solis Invicti which means Birthday of the Unconquered Sun?

The answers to these and many other questions about the date of Christmas explained in this wonderful ebook called God's Birthday by Taylor R. Marshall. A must read for the holidays for any one who questions the date of Christ's birth!

I suggest that you get this book right away Taylor Marshall does an awesome job  in this book! Every year I read about Christmas and the debates over the date of December 25, but no one puts it into such common sense as Taylor.

This book is short it is an ebook, but it is packed with historical facts proving the date of December 25 for the birth of Christ. I also learned some other interesting dates in this book.

Did you know that Christ is believed to have died and been conceived on the same day March 25? I also learned that Saint Hyppolytus' in his works titles Chronicon the earth is said to be created on what is identified as March 25, 5500 B.C.!

There is one for the creationists :)

"Thus, March 25 was identified by the Church Fathers as the Creation date of the universe, as the date of the Annunciation and Incarnation of Christ, and also as the date of  the Death of Christ our Savior."

This makes 9 months earlier from March 25 exactly December 25!

Every year I am reminded about the many Christmas nay sayers out there who do not want to believe that Christ was born on December 25. These same people tend to shoot out all of the other myths concerning Christmas as well, for one reason or another.

I have found that there is more proof to support a December 25 birthday for our Lord than any other date. But, don't take my word for it. You can read the book and see the proof for your self.

I strongly encourage you to get this ebook by Taylor Marshall especially if you have any dought about the birthday of Christ. This book is also a must read for those who believe that December 25 is not really Christ's birthday.

Anyway, thank you Taylor Marshall for writing this book! Get God's Birthday ebook for FREE a limited time only! Just click the link and in the post there is a link to get the book.

Thanks for reading my post :)

Joanne Utke

Holy Day Season

Have a Happy Holy Day Season!  

    Christ's life is a mystery that we can begin to understand with the help of the Holy Spirit leading us through the scriptures with the eyes of faith. This Christmas lets continue to contemplate on Christ's life starting with his birth! The Catechism can help. Also read the Gospels especially the Nativity story. A great thing to do with the family this Christmas. I have a past post about The Christmas Story that takes a look at Christmas in Luke's Gospel please take a look.

Christmas is a season about giving and charity, but not just material things. Ultimately Christmas in about Christ. Christmas is about giving of yourself to others just like Christ did. Anyone can give a store bought gift, but does everyone always give of them self? After we have learned about the birth of the savior of the world and how to give of our self to others just as Christ did we go on to Lent when we can put all of this into practice.

Then we have Easter when we can learn about and contemplate on the death and resurrection of Christ. We are reminded about his life, death, and resurrection and can live it through the Church.. We should use this to again be Christ like giving of our self to others. I want to urge you every year to get out your bibles and don't just live through the Holy Days like everyone else, but read about it in Scriptures and then really live it as well.

I would have to say that the Christmas season is my favorite time of year. It is a great time to get together with family and friends. It is an even better time to share Christ with others which can give us a good start for the new year. God knows that we need a reminder to be Christ like and we need this reminder many times each and every year. I am constantly reminded of Christ and I contently live to imitate him in my life. I also always fail at this. 

Here is a Scripture that I have on my white board as I write this post; 

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2) 

In conclusion I hope that we can all be not just observers of the holidays, but active participants in mind, body and spirit. This is my goal anyway. I don't want to just do the holidays. I want to understand them and see Christ in them and do as Saint Paul says in the Ephesians verse "be imitators of God" and "walk in love." If we open our eyes to Christ we will see him everywhere and I think that is what he wants. I feel that this is how we can come to really know him.  

Please check out my The Christmas Story post as well as The Season for Giving and Charity. There is also some links to activity posts specific for the holidays.

I also did a nice post about Hanukkah if you would like to check it out. 

Thank you for reading!
Joanne

Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!


I love Saint Patrick's Day! He is one of my favorite saints. I love to learn about the saints. This time of year is a great time to learn about Saint Patrick. Read or listen to Saint Patrick's Confessions his life in his own words. Link at the bottom :)

History:

      Saint Patrick was ordained by St. Germanus, of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years. Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane.

One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands! They began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick by now had many disciples among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well). Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote about his life in his Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461. He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

Why a shamrock? Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He explained that like the clover which is three leaves on one stem God is three persons in one God. It has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

In His Footsteps: Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man. His love, devotion and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God.

Every year I love to listen to the audio recordings of the writings of Saint Patrick. I especially love his short bio titled Confessions. You can download the collected works of Saint Patrick audios for free at Librivox.org

Also check out!

Download Confessions by Saint Patrick pdf
More on the history of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick with some additional information

An Old Irish Blessing For You!

May the road rise up to meet you. 

May the wind always be at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face, 

and rains fall soft upon your fields. 

And until we meet again, May God hold 

you in the palm of His hand.

ST. PATRICK'S PRAYER

        St. Patrick's prayer for the faithful captures the wonderful spirit that made him Ireland's patron saint, and one of the Church’s most beloved missionaries. Born in Britain shortly before the 5th century, St. Patrick, was taken captive to Ireland by raiders at the age of 16. 

In his Confessions he talks about how while on the ship of the raiders/pirates that captured him there was a harsh storm. The men said to him Christian why don't you ask your God to save us? Saint Patrick said to them if you submit to God and convert we will be saved. Long story short they all converted and submitted to the Christian God and safely landed on land.

He lived there for six years as a shepherd under harsh conditions and became intensely devoted to God in prayer, as he puts it, “because the spirit was then fervent within me.” Tradition has it that divine dreams inspired both his escape from captivity in Ireland and his return there later in his life as a bishop.

In this prayer he asks for God’s help in various ways:

May the Strength of God pilot us. 

May the Power of God preserve us.

May the Wisdom of God instruct us.

May the Hand of God protect us.

May the Way of God direct us.

May the Shield of God defend us.

May the Host of God guard us.

Against the snares of the evil ones.

Against temptations of the world 

May Christ be with us!

May Christ be before us!

May Christ be in us,

Christ be over all!

May Thy Salvation, Lord,

Always be ours,

This day, O Lord, and evermore. 

Amen.

     St. Patrick's prayer no doubt helped him in his missionary efforts. Although he faced his share of resistance, St. Patrick was so successful in preaching the gospel and organizing the Church in Ireland that he is largely credited with converting the Irish to Christianity.

His emblems are the snakes that legends claim he drove out of Ireland and the Shamrock he used to great effect to explain the Holy Trinity. (This is a wonderful illustration of three distinct entities, the three leaves of the clover, making up one shamrock, much like the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit constitute One God!)

St. Patrick's prayer for the faithful, much like the famous Breastplate prayer also attributed to him, can truly inspire us to ask for divine assistance in living our faith each day.

As Our Lord said in Matthew's gospel, if our requests are in accordance with His will, “ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” Matthew (7:6). The “Strength of God” mentioned in the first line of this prayer should give us strength indeed!

Saint Patrick pray for us : )

By Joanne Utke

ourcatholicprayers.com

The Value Of History

   I hope this paragraph can have some value in your history as it does mine. I thought it was really great so I am posting it..


"What value is history if it is just a display of facts to fill our heads? All history must be defined in the light of God and His actions in man's history. Man then, in his study of history will be elevated, incited to say as those who witnessed the early Christians defy the lions, who left the Colosseum affected by the miracles they witnessed, would shout, "Great is the God of the Christians." Our seeing God's hand in history, causes the same reaction of God's greatness. Your reading the previous sentence is history the moment you finish the sentence. Your actions of reading it is no longer in the present. Therefore, everything for you is in the future. All that comes to you in the next moment is future. So what is its value? Nothing, if explained only from the world's view, for in the end, what does it matter? But if history is viewed in the context of God and His Word applied, history becomes very important, for everything will pass into eternity. History only has importance or value if it elevated man and that importance is not surpassed by anything one will ever do, for our personal history will come into review in the future. As a way of explanation, consider one man who paints for a living but with no thought or desire to elevate himself or those who see his art towards good or  higher things. Regardless of his talent, if it is not being used for a higher purpose, it will not lead him to a future of peace. Another man, who also paints, has the desire that through his gift, he lead himself and others towards God, and his paintings reflect this aim in honoring God. Both have history they are creating, but only one man's history is creating a future of peace for himself and others. Every man who ever walked the earth will receive a history test. It is his bridge from this life to the next. In the middle of that bridge stands Christ, the teacher, judging your life and all the history tests you have gone through. Behind him, at the end of the bridge, are three paths leading you to the place you chose by your own history (Heaven, Hell and Purgatory). History, therefore, in this light will be your foremost thought, your whole attention. Most, on their death beds, reflect on their past lives in concern of what will be determined in the next. History is future. Decisions made in the future will effect your history. Therefore, decisions made in your history will affect your future. History will come back to you in the future even in the next life, in the judging of your life."

From the -20 Years Of Apparitions- an awesome manual that anyone should read : )

Sincerely Joanne