{"id":2301,"date":"2020-12-15T07:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T11:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2301"},"modified":"2020-12-15T08:42:43","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T12:42:43","slug":"227-thinking-christmastime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2301","title":{"rendered":"227- White noise or a White Chrismas?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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\/17197169\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/87A93A\/stats-code\/Season20-04\/\" 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are the words to the holiday songs simply a backdrop for my concerns of life on these final days of 2020? How well am I prepared for the upcoming miracle of Christmas?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These unusual final days of 2020 call to my mind the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a minister who gave his life in a Concentration Camp just a few weeks before the end of WW2 and also thoughts from Frances Reck&#8217;s 1992 Christmas recollections from her &#8216;Blue Letter&#8217; inspired by the Medjugorje Apparitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"block-d31277f5-ea78-40cc-9373-04588578bd2b\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/330px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1987-074-16_Dietrich_Bonhoeffer.jpg\" alt=\"Black and White photo of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (photo from Wikipedia page)\"\/><figcaption>Dietrich Bonhoeffer (photo from Wikipedia page)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-108b2038-ecde-4f7d-9341-05a25f184f5c\">Dietrich Bonhoeffer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-6f04c838-8bb7-453c-8279-c66869565886\"><em>\u201cNo priest, no theologian stood at the manger of Bethlehem. &nbsp;And yet all Christian theology has its origin in the wonder of all wonders: that God became human.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-2eeefa96-9abd-48ab-baaf-0e84cb809def\"><em>Holy theology arises from knees bent before the mystery of the divine child in the stable. Without the holy night there is no theology.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-fb5ccee0-31ca-4ca1-89c0-1993decd960d\"><em>&nbsp;\u2018God revealed in flesh,\u2019 the God-human Jesus Christ- That is the holy mystery that theology came into being to protect and preserve.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-43da17be-0f8d-4830-abfb-cd52e6505628\"><em>How can we fail to understand when we think that theology is to solve the mystery of God, to drag it down to the flat, ordinary wisdom of human experience and reason!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-5d85ee91-64dd-492c-b80f-8b7bb24114df\"><em>Its sole office is to preserve the miracle as miracle, to comprehend, defend, and glorify God\u2019s mystery precisely as mystery.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-df4b1a41-1934-4acf-b38e-f93f93847f0d\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer\">For More about Dietrich Bonhoeffer via Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:74px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\" id=\"block-f00a17f5-b131-4914-84c0-d0c8b40a993a\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Blue-Letter.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of front page of December 1992 edition of 'Blue Letter'\" width=\"406\" height=\"541\"\/><figcaption>December 1992 edition of &#8216;Blue Letter&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-024e123e-6ddd-489e-b72d-bccf2a9007d7\">Apparition of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje on December 25, 1992 as reported in \u2018The Blue Letter\u2019 with editorial by Frances Reck:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-a58b9639-7ada-4efe-b76c-07789cefffef\"><em>\u201cDear Children, Today I wish to place you all under my mantle to protect you from every satanic attack. Today is the day of Peace, but throughout the whole world there is much lack of peace. Therefore, I call you to build up a new world of Peace together with me, by means of prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-b21ef297-493a-4513-ab38-8c74607597ba\"><em>Without you, I cannot do that, and, therefore, I call all of you with my motherly love, and God will do the rest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-38789efa-0343-4cb1-aaa8-40ab666e913e\"><em>Therefore, open yourselves to God\u2019s plans and purposes for you to be able to cooperate with Him for peace and for good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-4c1125a7-a375-4b5e-8f1f-2371f773c96f\"><em>And do not forget that your life does not belong to you, but is a gift with which you must bring joy to others and lead them to Eternal Life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-a9b748a4-609b-44c8-ad8a-f319e512c488\"><em>May the tenderness of my little Jesus always accompany you. Thank you for having responded to my call.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-ea77d7a1-1a67-416b-b3c7-eba203705ee7\">Francis Reck adds- <em>\u201cOur Lady\u2019s message this month confirms the greatest of God\u2019s Commandments: Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-c80494cb-49b0-48c4-806a-12dfdf69eceb\"><em>She tells us to: <strong>\u2018bring joy to others and lead them to Eternal Life.\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-eacbc028-4a87-4be7-8494-e79d2c398dd6\"><em>She reminds us that our purpose for being on earth is to love God, love our neighbor and gain Eternal Life in heaven.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-4086c2d6-1efe-4d19-abbd-45fc949930b2\"><em>Our Lady\u2019s words are filled with wisdom and the love of God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:66px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I value feedback through the comments section here<br>OR- Better via email at NikosSteves@gmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Constant Procession tells of key apparitions of the Virgin Mary since she passed on from the world and how she serves humanity through Christianity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>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.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Constant Procession (the podcast) is published here every Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/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>Are the words to the holiday songs simply a backdrop for my concerns of life on these final days of 2020? How well am I prepared for the upcoming miracle of Christmas? These unusual final days of 2020 call to my mind the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a minister who gave his life in a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/?p=2301\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;227- White noise or a White Chrismas?&#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-2301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301","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=2301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nikossteves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}