Originally entitled "Atheists and Christmas" by Stephanie Samuel, Christian Post In a newly released Christmas guide, atheists recount stories of traditional Christmas celebrations despite secular leaders’ belief that non-believers should steer clear of the Dec. 25th holiday. The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas features 42 celebrity freethinkers in the United States and Europe who open up and discuss a topic seldom associated to their ilk – celebrating Christmas. The book, a compilation of several essays and short stories, reveals that atheists maintain traditions and fond memories linked to the holiday commonly associated with Christian beliefs. Simon Le Bon, front man of pop band Duran … [Read more...]
Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind December 25th
William J. Tighe Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals. Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, … [Read more...]
Sincere Religion
by St. Sebastian Dabovich On this commemoration day of St. Sebastian Dabovich, we present a chapter from his work, The Lives of the Saints. His words ring just as true today as they did when he wrote them in the late nineteenth century. We live in a peculiar age. No time has ever dawned upon the earth like the present era. Startling developments in the world of truth keep the minds of men, to some extent, constantly reaching out after it. More light! greater knowledge! is now the almost universal cry. Great discoveries in science have opened many new and hitherto unknown avenues to the greater physical development of the human family; and at the same time it may be said to be true, that … [Read more...]
Overcoming Holiday Depression
by Fr. Nektarios Serfes Over the years, I've seen many of our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer from 'holiday' depression. It is not uncommon. I have found that the Nativity Fast, when sedulously applied, lifts this spiritual malaise and depression with great effectiveness. Likewise, I have seen, and continue to see, those who complain or suffer from this Christmas depression, but refuse to life a finger to even try to fast, and thus remain in their despair. If you suffer from Christmas depression - try it and see how simple it is to remain joyful throughout the Nativity fast and the Christmas season. - Fr. John Much of the post-holiday blues and Christmas depression that occur in … [Read more...]
In Defense of the Christmas Tree
by Fr. Daniel Daly Several years ago during the Christmas season, a religious program on television caught my attention. The program featured a discussion on the dangers of cults, especially to young people. I found myself agreeing with the panelists as they warned young people about the hazards of involvement in occult or “new age” spirituality. During the interview, however, one participant made a statement that shocked me. “…and the Christmas tree is pagan too…,” he asserted. The Christmas Tree? Pagan? Could it be that something most of us enjoy so much might be actually pagan in origin? Despite its growing commercialization, the Christmas tree is still associated with the … [Read more...]
Was St. Nicholas a Real Person?
Some say St. Nicholas existed only in legend, without any reliable historical record. Legends usually do grow out of real, actual events, though they my be embellished to make more interesting stories. Many of the St. Nicholas stories seem to be truth interwoven with imagination. However, the following facts of the life of St. Nicholas contain historical truth. Nicholas’ Birth in Patara - Though the exact date of his birth is not known, it is believed to have occurred between AD 260 - 280. The place, Patara, can be historically grounded. Orthodox Tradition states that St. Nicholas has promised to help those who remember his parents, Theophanes and Nonna in prayer. Dowries for the Poor … [Read more...]
Homily on Thanksgiving
In anticipation of national Thanksgiving Day in the US, and the homilies which must be written and preached this coming Sunday, we offer wisdom from St. Basil, aptly called 'The Great.' by St. Basil the Great 1. You have heard the words of the Apostle, in which he addresses the Thessalonians, prescribing rules of conduct for every kind of person. His teaching, to be sure, was directed towards particular audiences; but the benefit to be derived therefrom is relevant to every generation of mankind. Rejoice evermore, he says; Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Now, we shall explain a little later on, as far as we are able, what it means to … [Read more...]
Masoretic Text vs. Original Hebrew
by Fr. Joseph Gleason I used to believe the Masoretic Text was a perfect copy of the original Old Testament. I used to believe that the Masoretic Text was how God divinely preserved the Hebrew Scriptures throughout the ages. I was wrong. The oldest copies of the Masoretic Text only date back to the 10th century, nearly 1000 years after the time of Christ. And these texts differ from the originals in many specific ways. The Masoretic text is named after the Masoretes, who were scribes and Torah scholars who worked in the middle-east between the 7th and 11th centuries. The texts they received, and the edits they provided, ensured that the modern Jewish texts would manifest a … [Read more...]
Why the Seder?
Part three of our republishing of 'The Contemporary Protestant Seder: Anachronistic Revisionism?' by the Rev. Dr. Dcn. Timothy J. Wilkinson Why the Seder? Given the clear linkage between the Passover, the Seder meal, and the Eucharist – and the apparent lack of understanding of, or interest in this linkage – motives for participation in the Seder meal appear to fall into two categories. The first revolves around the well-known philo-Semitic evangelical desire for rootedness and connection with the early Church and its predecessor, the Jewish religion. Since the publication of Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline in 1978, ancient source literature, particularly as it relates to … [Read more...]
The Early Church, the Seder and the Eucharist
Part two of our republishing of 'The Contemporary Protestant Seder: Anachronistic Revisionism?' by the Rev. Dr. Dcn. Timothy J. Wilkinson. The Early Church, the Seder and the Eucharist What kind of meal was the Last Supper? At first blush it appears to be a Passover meal imbued with new meaning. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus specifically mentions the desire to eat the Passover meal with His disciples: Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover? And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at … [Read more...]
