“Good King Wenceslas” is a Christmas carol that tells a story of a Bohemian king going on a journey and braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle […]
Don’t mistake me for a spoil-sport: on the contrary, I should like to revive all the good old customs genuinely associated with the joyous season of Christmas. In city after city, I have seen Christmas parades on Thanksgiving Day! One might think that we were celebrating the birth of Mammon, rather than that of Jesus, […]
Here are some news stories that might be of interest. Most articles will be more or less summarized in the headline. You can skim the headlines and summaries, and click the links if they are of interest. Keep in mind, many of these reports are products of an unreliable news media, so although they will […]
The real claim of Christmas, for Christians, is that Truth and Love penetrated the cosmos. Christmas is a warm, loving, and tender season precisely for this reason. That warm fire, or bright sky, or joyful company, is made possible only because that God which ever lives and loves—to which the whole creation moves—entered the creation […]
Hector Berlioz was a professed atheist, but could anything as tender and touching as “L’Enfance du Christ” have been written by a man who did not believe? And what of Berlioz’s closing line to the work: “Oh my soul, what remains for you to do but shatter your pride before so great a mystery?” The […]
THIS is our daily open forum where readers can discuss current topics, bring up ideas or simply chat. We suggest you keep your comments to no more than 250 words (and please respect our comments policy and be patient if your comments don’t appear straight away – it is not personal, it is Disqus and bear in mind that […]
Here are some news stories that might be of interest. Most articles will be more or less summarized in the headline. You can skim the headlines and summaries, and click the links if they are of interest. Keep in mind, many of these reports are products of an unreliable news media, so although they will […]
WE’RE in the second millennium and the twenty-third yearUp here in Craster we’re in rude health, never fearThe utter madness around us makes me smile every dayOur leaders don’t lead, no one believes what they sayWe’ve got climate and covid and Biden’s mad warAnd hate between Islam and Israel expands more and moreThe doctors are […]
THIS is our daily open forum where readers can discuss current topics, bring up ideas or simply chat. We suggest you keep your comments to no more than 250 words (and please respect our comments policy and be patient if your comments don’t appear straight away – it is not personal, it is Disqus and bear in mind that […]
“O Holy Night” is a carol with a purity, beauty and a timeless message I dearly love. What I’ve always thought of as a humble yet glorious, affecting Christmas carol, turns out to have a vaguely spicy story behind it. Confession: I stopped writing this essay on “O Holy Night,” soured by something I couldn’t […]
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