Time to think about what the Holidays mean to us
The Holiday season is upon us. We have been reminded of this through the saturation of commercialism in our lives. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll start to see Valentine’s Day commercials. Who knows?
All of us at St. Angelo Hardwoods, Inc. would like to thank all of our customers for their continued support and to allowing us to serve them for their business needs.
Rather than worrying about “Black Friday” or financial and business issues, we would like to take a moment to remind you what we think the holiday season should be to all people.
Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to come together and appreciate all they have in life. It is not a time to worry about what you don’t have or want.
It is an easy holiday to enjoy. No gifts. No stress. No expectations. You simply eat, enjoy the company of family and friends and tell stories of days past. There is no need to reveal or dwell on someone’s shortcomings because we all have shortcomings. Just enjoy and be thankful for everything you have and for all you have been given.
Wouldn’t it be great to simply love your people, eat and fall asleep on the couch so you don’t have to participate in the cleaning part of the day? By doing this, you may become next year’s Thanksgiving story. Your friends and family will all smile and think back to last year favorably and say, “Hey! Who remembers when Uncle Steve went to sleep on the couch after that wonderful meal? I’ll bet he did it to avoid helping out with the cleaning.” Everyone will laugh including yourself.
Now that’s something neither Black Friday nor worrisome thoughts about anything else can bring to your life.
Hanukkah (The Festival of Light) is about the survival of the Jewish spirit.
The basic story of Hanukkah is well known: In the year 167 b.c.e., Antiochus IV, ruler of the third of Alexander’s Greek empire that included Syria and Israel, banned circumcision and Sabbath observance and introduced pagan worship into the Temple in Jerusalem. Mattathias, a priest in the small town of Modiin, refused an order to worship a sacrifice, slayed both a Jew who joined in the pagan worship and the king’s agent, and fled to the hills to launch a guerrilla rebellion that was continued after his death by his son, Judah Maccabee.
After two years, the rebels succeeded in reconquering Jerusalem. On the third anniversary of the Temple’s desecration, it was rededicated in an eight-day celebration.
According to the Talmud it was at this time that a single undefiled flask of olive oil was found for lighting the Temple candelabrum (menorah). Miraculously, the oil, sufficient for only one day, burned for eight.
Hanukkah can be:
- a celebration of God’s salvation
- a celebration of protecting Jewish uniqueness
- a celebration of Jews fighting for themselves and their religion
- a celebration of our difference
- a celebration of Jewish power
- a time for giving gifts
- a season of light in the darkest time of the year
Hanukkah is a time for Jewish people to come together and reflect on what they have and to look back at what they have gone through to achieve a life of love and thankfulness for what they have become.
It is an admirable celebration that should be looked upon by all denominations if only to learn of Hanukkah and should be respected by all as the celebration is clearly a wonderful time of joy for our Jewish brothers and sisters.
Christmas. A wonderful time of the year for Christians around the world.
Christmas is a celebration when we give thanks to God our Father for the beautiful gift of his son Jesus Christ.
It was at this time that God decided to show himself through his son Jesus Christ so people would believe in the love and power of God through his son Jesus Christ. He sent his son in human form to spread the word of his love.
The current assault on Christianity is something that really disturbs me. In fact, I believe that it is the reason for most uncertainties in this world today.
God put Jesus Christ on this earth to promote peace and love yet to this day we find it slipping away due to pleasures such as money, fame, ego, pride and greed.
Christmas is a time to put all of that aside and think of what Jesus Christ has taught us from the beginning. He taught us that material possessions may be nice but it is not necessary. It is necessary to follow Jesus Christ as best you are able.
It is a time to rejoice that we are able to feel in our hearts what we were taught by Jesus Christ, the only son of God himself.
Christmas is a time to reflect upon all that God has given us. A time to be thankful for all He has done for us. He gave his only son for our sins and agreed to hold and love us still. A time to put aside all differences and concentrate on what God wants us to contemplate. He wants you to be kind and loving to all. Especially those that oppose you. Only through these actions will you be in God’s good graces.
So all in all, there is no Christmas without Christ. If there were no Christ, it would simply be called December 25th.
May you all have a wonderful holiday season and of course…….
May God bless you each and every one.