Favorite Christmas Song

Trev and Darrell have already posted something about their favorite Christmas songs.

I’m going to break away from the traditional carols; right now my favorite is Christmas Canon, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I heard this as Muzak in a grocery store last year, and it blew me away. Tonight, I heard it again, tracked it down on the Internet, and bought it from iTunes.

It’s an arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon in D, sung by a small children’s choir, so perfect that that it takes my breath away. The simple spirituality of hope and prayer to emulate the Lord we worship brings tears to my eyes every time. There’s nothing quite like it. Here are the lyrics from the longer version on The Christmas Attic

Merry Christmas
The hope that he brings

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will show

This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows

We are waiting
We have not forgotten

On this night
On this night
On this very Christmas night 

Just in from Reuters: Virgin Birth Expected

And this just after I gave a speech at Toastmasters about contemplating the Virgin Birth as a mystical symbol! Reuters reports that a virgin birth is expected, possibly on Christmas Day, to a Komodo dragon in a London zoo. See article.

Hey, if dragons get salvation, a few verses in Revelation might need to be rewritten! Unless—what if Yeats was right?

What rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches toward London to be hatched?

Folks, it could be the Antilizard!

Happy Hanukkah and Esperanto Day

Today’s the first day of Hanukkah, the beginning of eight days of remembering the miracle of the oil involved in rededicating the Temple. So, the next week can be a great time for anyone, Jewish or not, to remember what miracles have happened in their lives. What do you remember that you’d like to share?

Also, the Esperanto League for North America has designated December 15 as “Esperanto Day,” a day to further awareness of the extremely easy and expressive language, Esperanto. Bloggers are encouraged to translate their post for today into Esperanto, so:

Hodiaŭ estas la unua tago de Hanukkah, la komenco de ok tagoj por memoranta la miraklon de la oleon tiun uzis pri redediĉi la Templo. La sekvonta semajno povas esti granda tempo por ĉiu, judano aŭ ne judano, memori tiujn miraklojn okazitis en iliaj vivoj. kion vi memoras ke vi volus skribi ĉi tie?

Ankaŭ, la Esperanto Ligo por Norda Ameriko nomitis Decembron 15 “Esperanto Tago,” tago al pli konscio pri la ekstreme facila kaj esprimplena lingvo, esperanto. Blogantoj tradukitas iliajn poŝtojn por hodiaŭ esperante.

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Happy Buddha Day, Immaculate Conception

Blessed MotherThe “holiday season” is well-named. It’s not just Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, but also Sundays of Advent, The Feast of St. Nicholas, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Twelve days of Christmas, St. Stephen’s Day, Epiphany, and the Baptism of Jesus. And also, of course, Hanukkah, Rohatsu or Buddha Day, Yule, and sometimes Ramadan and Eid.

standing buddhaI’ve come to really appreciate December 8th, which is both Buddha Day and Immaculate Conception Day. A wonderfully non-commercialized respite that’s sacred to Catholics, Japanese Buddhists, and anyone else who wants an excuse to take a break from the hustle and bustle. And although I have fairly little “Marian devotion,” I can’t wait to get to Mass tonight and sing “Salve, Regina,” one of my favorite hymns.

May all of us be inspired to follow the examples of Mary and the Buddha who in their different ways both brought the light of the world into the world.