TIA,

What a lovely "card" and the sentiments expressed with such charity and clarity!

Thank you and God Bless your continuing efforts.

Sincerely [with the assistance of his guardian angel and St. Dominic...we hope],

     M. V-S.

He who for our sakes wished to become a child of man

O manifest infirmity, O wondrous humility, in which all the greatness of God lay hid! The mother to whom His infancy was subject, He ruled with His power; and to her at whose breasts He nursed, He gave the nourishment of Truth. May He Who did not shrink from taking a beginning even like ours, perfect in us His gifts; and may He also make us children of God, He who for our sakes wished to become a child of man.

     St. Augustine: Sermon 184. (5th century)

     E.S.

Dear TIA,

There has been a lot of fraudulent talk about 'hope and change' of late that is man focused only coming from individuals who don't have a clue, reflecting their ignorance, and that of their counterparts throughout history. Their false hope leads only to the despair necessary to sustain their diabolic existence.

The only REAL hope lies in the UNCHANGEABLE that was born of a Virgin on Christmas Day. Jesus, Christ the King, Son of the Living God, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity existing eternally, sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ the King Who one day will come in judgment to see who really understood the true meaning of Christmas, and lived it throughout their lives.

Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, is the ONLY hope for mankind on this December 25, 2008, A.D. as He always has been from the first moment of His conception in Mary's womb due to the power of the Holy Ghost!

Let us rejoice and celebrate His birth giving us the Hope of salvation for eternity's sake!

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours, and God bless you all,

     In the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph

    Gary L. Morella

Dear TIA,

A blessed Christmas to you!

We are a bit late sending out Christmas cards this year, and wish to convey our greetings to you and yours.

My wife has just ordered online several of your excellent books, and we are looking forward to receiving them.

We are deep in snow, and had blizzard conditions on Sunday. More snow is predicted, so we will have a very white Christmas. So much for global warming!

     God bless,

     T.W.

Dear TIA,

I wish you a Blessed Christmas and New Year.

Keep up the good fight. You are like a light in the tunnel.

R.R.

Dear TIA,

Since we have been sick with the flu and didn't send out cards this year, I thought it would be a good time to wish all of you a wonderful and Blessed Christmas, and to let you know we are still around. Hope you and yours are well. I am still teaching elementary art and J. is still homeschooling the children. They are doing great.

     With best wishes for a wonderful New Year,

     E.S.

TIA,

Very nice Christmas Trees around the world. Be sure to read the ending, very interesting, never knew this.

Merry Christmas!

     D.C.



Christmas Trees 'Round the World'
This display of photos, research and comments were made by DeAnna Richardson [deanna_richardson@msn.com] and sent to us by the reader above.

Before the ball drops in Times Square, the Big Apple turns on its holiday charm with the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., is decorated with 3,000 ornaments that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren. Encircling evergreens in the 'Pathway of Peace' represent the 50 U.S. states. The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region. Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire, the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's nighttime neon display is projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square, and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountains in the southern Czech Republic. The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall) can be found in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal. Thousands of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special enchantment of the city during the holiday season. 'Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree': Even in its humblest attire, aglow beside a tiny chapel in Germany's Karwendel mountains, a Christmas tree is a wondrous sight. Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette! In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic. With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower In addition to the Vatican's heavenly evergreen, St. Peter's Square in Rome hosts a larger-than-life nativity scene in front of the obelisk. The Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol is dressed for a party. Madrid's two-week celebration makes millionaires along with merrymakers. On Dec. 22, a lucky citizen will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery. A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during World War II, the Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square has been the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947. Drink a glass of gluhwein from the holiday market at the Romer Frankfurt's city hall since 1405 and enjoy a taste of Christmas past. Against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs, a rainbow trio of Christmas trees lights up the night (location unknown).

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol... so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone


Christmas at Arlington Cemetery

I wonder why the press hasn't enlightened the public about it?

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers. Know the line has held, your job is done. Rest easy, sleep well. Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held. Peace, peace, and farewell...

Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths - some 5,000 - are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Please share this with everyone on your address list. You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

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