What's this, still Christmas?

Yes, Virginia there is a Christmas past 12/25. Since the earliest days of the church Christmas was/is a season, not simply a day. Dec. 25 is the beginning of Christmas, not the end. The Christmas season lasts for 12 days, ending on Epiphany. Epiphany is a season that remembers the epiphanies of Jesus, his showing through, as God among us. St. John the Forerunner was the first to recognize Jesus, John lept in his mother's womb when Mary walked in the room. The Wise Men were the first non-Jews to recognize Jesus; but I digress. I wonder when we decided to celebrate Christmas from a season before 12/25 to a season after? I know I'm a liturgical fuss-budget, but why rush Christmas to be over? Doesn't Hallmark have much to gain in Advent cards? Actually, I think Advent and Lent are pretty much impervious to sentimental expression, don't see too many Precious Moments Advent figures (maybe the doe-eyed thing looking down as he walks east?) Anyway, I ramble. I hope all had a prayerful Advent that had protracted silence to think, and I hope you have a joyous Christmas until January 6!

Here's a great song from the Nightmare Before Christmas,

Happy Christmas

Check out this awesome rosary that Brittany got me, I call it a baptismal rosary but it probably has another name and history, let me know if you know.

Jacob Marly in Purgatory

The Christmas Carol is a great story, but the theology isn't sound. I think we all would like to think that God will punish all the greedy and hateful people of the world, according to their sins. But Jesus messes all that up. Jacob Marly et al, don't get hell fire and damnation for their misdeeds, if they get it at all they get it because they've resisted God's grace. I don't think God's grace is utlimately resistable, so I think that everything gets saved (even the demons and Hell, as Origin would say). That's the whole point of the incarnation, of Christmas, all gets reconciled to God. So, for me, eventually, God gets us, even if we don't want God, which is our current state of affairs, the fancy theological term for this is apokatastasis, and it's not quite heretical, but almost. The simple point of the matter is that God is not Just, God is not Fair. And thank God for it! We will all be offended, surprised, and even glad for God's wacked out sense of inclusion. Come Lord Jesus!

Luke 2:7 translation and commentary

My translation: And she was giving birth to the son, the firstborn, and she swaddled him and layed him down in a feeding-trough, because there was no room for them at the inn.
All translation is a choice. I could have translated some of the words as "swaddling cloths" and "manger," the problem is I don't really have any experience with swaddling cloths or a manger, in fact the only times we use these words are in reference to the Nativity narratives. I have, however, experience swaddling my two children: also, I know what a feeding trough is, it's what your father-in-law fills with water and reads novels in. Another trick of translation is that the words, especially in Greek, have many meanings, for example: "the first-born" could just as well be "her first-born." Why the choice? In our eucharistic prayers we praise Jesus Christ as the first-born of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation. In effect I translated it this way because I have an agenda. I wonder if other translators had agendas too? Nay...

Theology Geek or Geek Theology part Two

Yeah I'm a geek, so what? I love conlags and I know more klingon and esperanto than most people. It takes all kinds I guess, here's a guy who uses the klingon language to talk about Jesus.

'ach vaj 'oH ghaH ghobe' the DichDaq vo' lIj vav 'Iv ghaH Daq chal vetlh wa' vo' Dochvammey mach ones should chIlqu'.
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

I don't care what they say, I like this guy

Luke 2:2-3

αὕτη ἡ ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη ἐγένετο ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνίου. καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν.

And it happened that a census was decreed during the Roman governorship of Cyrenius who was over Syria, and the whole world departed to register, each into his own city.

This one is for Andy.

Luke 2:1

16 weeks ago I didn't know the Greek alphabet, here's my translation of Luke 2:1, more to follow.

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθεν δόγμα παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου ἀπογράφεσθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην.

It happened in those days that a decree came out from Caesar Augustus that the entire human race is to give their name in a registration.

Happy birthday to me.

Thanks to my friend and former bandmate Jake for sending me this, I really miss the ska band!

Wondering about Advent?

Around minute 9:00 is right on.