{"id":2295,"date":"2020-12-08T07:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T11:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2295"},"modified":"2020-12-14T11:15:01","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T15:15:01","slug":"226-our-spirited-journey-towards-christmas-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2295","title":{"rendered":"226- A Spirited Journey Towards Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><em><strong>Green Arrow = Play Podcast<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/17104511\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/87A93A\/stats-code\/Season20-03\/\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" oallowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"90\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Slowing down the Christmas pace by spending time in the preseason with the &#8216;Forefeast for the Theotokos&#8217; and in the Roman Catholic church for the &#8216;Feast of the Immaculate Conception,&#8217; &#8216;Our Lady of Guadalupe,&#8217; &#8216;St Juan Diego&#8217; and a homework assignment for St. Nicholas the \u2018Christmas Saint.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we try to reach for normalcy given the limitations in our lives during these first weeks of December 2020, it\u2019s the strengths of the Apostolic churches that affords us the luxury of a rich history with many great traditions gleaned from the Christian communities for almost 2000 years, as well as our personal past Christmas times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season-1400x875.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful Christmas card in red with Christmas tree bulbs and snow.\" class=\"wp-image-1496\" width=\"778\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season-1400x875.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/jesus-christ-the-reason-for-the-season.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And during the burdens of the world in isolation, it&#8217;s Advent and the Nativity Fast that keeps us moving along on our wintry journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eXt8KfTKqrg\">Follow this link to the video I mentioned that documents the key locations at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several video views I shot during my visit to Tepeyac Hill (Our Lady of Guadalupe &#8211; Mexico City a few years back)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/8997MAH00079a1U.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tepeyac Hill, I believe this is the side Juan Diego was passing by when he heard then saw the Virgin Mary calling him from the top of this hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/8997MAH00074Ua1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Same side, note shrine at top of Tepeyac Hill, note Roses and greenery that is maintained along with water falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/8997MAH00083a1U.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>View from one side of Tepeyac Hill where St. Juan Diego saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/8997MAH00070aU.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>1\/2 way up climb to top of Tepeyac Hill. Note the gardens and roses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/8997MAH00131a1U.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Front view of the modern Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Older Basilica is at left (note it leaning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I value feedback through the comments section here<br>OR- Better via email at NikosSteves@gmail.com<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Constant Procession tells of key apparitions of the Virgin Mary since she passed on from the world and how she serves humanity through Christianity.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The origin of these podcasts began with my book The Constant Procession.<br>(An e-book copy of the book can be found here on the website.)<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Constant Procession (the podcast) is published here every Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/The-Podcast-Academy-Member-Card-lemon.png\" alt=\"The Podcast Academy Member Logo\" class=\"wp-image-2191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/The-Podcast-Academy-Member-Card-lemon.png 360w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/The-Podcast-Academy-Member-Card-lemon-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/The-Podcast-Academy-Member-Card-lemon-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 85vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Slowing down the Christmas pace by spending time in the preseason with the &#8216;Forefeast for the Theotokos&#8217; and in the Roman Catholic church for the &#8216;Feast of the Immaculate Conception,&#8217; &#8216;Our Lady of Guadalupe,&#8217; &#8216;St Juan Diego&#8217; and a homework assignment for St. Nicholas the \u2018Christmas Saint.\u2019 As we try to reach for normalcy given &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2295\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;226- A Spirited Journey Towards Christmas&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}