" ...Now darkness only stays the nighttime
In the morning it will fade away.
Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
It's not always going to be this gray..."
- All Things Must Pass , G. Harrison
Into this world, this demented inn
in which there is no room for him at all,
But because he cannot be at home in it,
because he is out of place in it
and yet he must be in it,
His place is with those who do not belong,
who are rejected by power because
they are regarded as weak,
those who are discredited,
who are denied status of persons.
who are tortured, bombed and exterminated
with those for whom there is no room,
Christ is present in this world.
- Thomas Merton
The Holy Longing
Tell a wise person, or else keep silent
because the mass man will mock it right away.
I praise what is truly Alive.
What longs to be burned to death.
In the calm water of the love-nights,
where you were begotten, where you have begotten,
a strange feeling comes over you,
when you see the silent candle burning.
Now you are no longer caught in the obsession with darkness,
and a desire for higher love-making sweeps you upward.
Distance does not make you falter.
Now, in arriving in magic, flying.
and finally insane for the light,
you are the butterfly and you are gone.
And so long as you haven't experienced this: to die and so to grow,
you are a troubled guest on the dark earth.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, translated by Robert Bly
Let the Angels sing
"PEACE ON EARTH GOOD WILL TO MEN"
----------------------------------------
Adventus Lauds
So in this time of waiting;
Pandemic never ending, elections denied -
No lives seem to matter,
The pilgrim pondered,
"Are not all gifts blessings and
all blessings gifts and if this is not true
how does any of this matter?
Is not all creation a gift of unconditional love
to live in total love , peace and hope?"
The usual suspect's father once confided
"Blessed are the peacemakers as they
shall see God first."
The sherpa quietly packed the bags
for the journey with a mantra
that he would only instruct
the novice pilgrims in the ways of peace.
Do you ever wonder from what seed was narcissism, greed and violence born?
Were we not to share everything for the common welfare
of all creation?
Is the creed such that sentient beings are gifted breath
and life to only benefit themselves?
As so with every ending comes a new beginning.
The ashes of the recent passage
leads to the spark ever-present that we rekindle
deep within the mystery of our own souls
where the common DNA found in the great teacher
illuminates again with hope, light , peace, compassion , mercy and love.
- JF Sobecki
..................
Journey of the Magi - TS Eliot ( read by Hugh Laurie)
Seasons Best Ad ( Message)
Getting Ready - P. Simon
The Cry of a Tiny Babe - B. Cockburn
Do They Know It's Christmas
The True Meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown
Live Peace- Teach Peace - Be Peace- Colman McCarthy
For RELIGIOUS FANATICS ONLY - Charlie Brown Story
Charlie Brown asked Lucy why she was so happy. Lucy explained how it was "Christmas" and explained further that this was the time of year to "spread joy, caring, compassion, giving, peace and love."
Charlie Brown wondered to Lucy "Why do we do these things at "Christmastime" and why can't we do these things and be that way all year round?"Lucy yelled at Charlie Brown , "What are you some type of religious fanatic?"
Now sit back relax and watch the full film version of"Scrooge" with Alistair Sim ( 1951)
"Business" cried the Ghost, wringing his hands again."Mankind was my business.The common welfare was my business: charity, mercy, forebearance and benevolence, were all my business.The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business"
- The Ghost of Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carole , C, Dickens
Hope you are all safe and well.
Merry Peace-filled Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!
amdg
