--- Lexorandi2@... wrote: > Was Jesus actually born today? > > by Joseph Farah > > Posted: December 25, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern > © 2002 WorldNetDaily.com > > Today, millions of Christians around the world > celebrate the birth of the One they believe to be the Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God – Jesus of Nazareth. > > Jesus is called many things in the Bible. One of His > names is the Lamb of God. And while no one is quite sure exactly when Jesus was born, I believe that > name may actually lend credence to the birth date of > Dec. 25. > ----------------------------------- Fr. Dan+ Thank you for posting this. While preparing my homilies for Good Shepherd Christmas Eve and at Chapel of the Resurrection Christmas morning, I came across an old sermon, whose author I don't recall who asked 5 questions about the Christmas narratives. There are a number of people in both congregations who pride themselves on their knowledge of the Bible. I shamelessly "borrowed" the 5 questions to use as an introduction to my theme of the value of our traditions, though embroidered, in bringing home the reality of God's dramatic entry into human affairs in order to reveal to us the heart of the Father. I began with with a song from the Netherlands to show just how extreme the embroidery of the Christmas story can become. You recall the song, "Three Ships sailed in to Bethelehem on Christmas Day in the Morning." This of course brought giggles and wagging heads and superior smiles to the faces of those who were Biblically and geographically literate. Then the questions were posed. 1. When Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, how did they get there? a. They walked b. Joseph walked; Mary rode a donkey c. They took a chariot d. We don’t really know The correct answer is “D.” The Bible gives no record of their means of travel. 2. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? a. A multitude b. Two Gabriel and Michael c. One d. Not sure The right response is “C.” Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them…” 3. What song did the angels sing? a. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” b. “Joy to the World” c. “Glory to God in the Highest” d. None of the above This is a trick question. The correct choice is “D.” According to Luke 2:13, they were: “…praising God and saying…” There’s no mention of them singing anything. 4. What animals were present at Jesus’ birth? a. Cows, sheep and camels b. Horses, sheep and donkeys c. Lions and tigers and bears d. None of the above There is no mention in the Bible about any animals being present. The answer is “D.” 5. In what books of the Bible can you find the Christmas story? a. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John b. Matthew and Luke c. Mark and Matthew d. Matthew, Mark and Luke The right choice is “B” -- Matthew and Luke. These two gospels give us insight into the birth of Jesus and provide much of what we know about the first Christmas. ------------------------------- There were giggles from the children when we came to the "lions, tigers, and bears" answer to the question "What animals were present at Jesus' birth?" They could distinguish between the Wizard of Oz and the Gospel story. At times, even the Bible readers had a moment or two when I could see by their expression they were rummaging their memory banks attempting to separate myths they treasured from the sparse accounts we have of Jesus' childhood. Hopefully, this little exercise revealed to the congregations just how rich our tradition of art, literature, and song has become in regard to Jesus' birth; and that these good things direct us to that wonderous mystery, the Incarnation. Belatedly, I thought about a question to add to the list. What were the gifts of the Magi? 1. A Lexus for the trip to Egypt. 2. A gift certificate for shopping at the Bazaar. 3. A fruit basket. 4. A toy drum. Thank God we have 11 days left when we clergy can enjoy the season. Charles+ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/