The Nativity - Lorenzo Lotto, 1523
Samuel H. Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art
Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it
with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel",
which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Image from Web Gallery of Art
Merry Christmas, Mimi. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and stories with us all. We have been enriched immeasurably by you, no matter what that North Sea grouch may say. May you and your whole family have a wonderful New Year. Give Diana a big kiss on the nose from all of your readers.
ReplyDeleteJohn, thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteDiana is doing very well. We bought her a new bed, which she loves. It's the first one she has not chewed up. When I learn to use my new digital camera, I want to take pictures of her. The vet did a great cosmetic job when he removed her eye.
I pray for a blessed and happy Christmas for you and your family.
Merry Christmas, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait till you learn to use the camera. Some of us know you in person and love you even more. A certain Brit should be so lucky. Soon we will get to meet Diana.
Hugs.
Merry Christmas, Mimi! Best wishes for you and your entire clan. and to Diana.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for all of the Advent stuff. I didn't comment on any of it but I did read and listen. Thanks.(Oh, and speaking of religious stuff, since I was already over in Seattle I went to the Cathedral last night, surprise surprise. I didn't see KJ, though, but I have no idea how I would have spotted him.)
Anyway, have a blessed Christmas.
Grandmère Mimi, a truly Merry Christmas to you and the Grandpère and Diana. I always enjoy reading your blog and get a lot of inspiration from your thoughts. We're just back from church now, and about to have some lunch and open some presents. God bless you and yours!
ReplyDeleteHey Dennis!
ReplyDeleteWhich service did you go to? Since my partner turns into a pumpkin at 9:00, I was at the 7:30 service and served as an acolyte. I was supposed to be the crucifer, but one of the young girls who was also serving as an acolyte had her heart so set on being crucifer, in the spirit of Christmas and the KIND Christ Child, I deferred to her.
I hope that you attended the 11:00 service, which is, to be crass, the "full meal deal" with the full Cathedral choir, etc.
Regardless, I shall not shun you on this Christmas Day.
See, Grandmère, a Christmas miracle! Speaking of which, I took The Wiener for a pre-Christmas dinner walk, what he calls "a forced march", and what I saw as another Christmas miracle, a snowfall, he saw as a considerable setback. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
Merry Christmas!
KJ, I did see you. I was at the 7.30 so I could go to friends for their late party.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if that was you. (But I had imagined that you were younger so I thought "nah, probably not")
Next time I'm there I'll say hello.
It has been snowing all day here on the peninsula. I wonder if will stay on the ground all night.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Mimi. Hope it was a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteOw! Dennis thinks I'm old! I am young at heart, though, and a baby Episcopalian.
ReplyDeleteThey also got my name wrong in the bulletin -- I am not a "Meadows." However, the woman responsible for that, who had more things on her plate than she could manage, still made it over to me to apologize for the error. Must have been my sulky look after getting beat up by the little girl who wanted to be the crucifer.
The Sunday after Christmas is the "lessons and carols" service, and is always beautiful, though since I won't be an acolyte again until Epiphany Sunday, something will be strangely lacking.
I'm hoping I'll get to participate when the Dalai Lama and ++ Tutu are at the Cathedral in April. Grandmère, get your plane ticket! Do you think we could manage to not embarrass ourselves?
Merry Christmas to all. I hope that you all had beautiful Christmases.
ReplyDeletePiskie, I haven't tried the camera yet. I'm still afraid of it. I will. I will.
Dennis, it's nice to know that you read my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed the Advent postings, and you, too, Tim.
And there's KJ performing beautifully and being "nice" and yielding his place as crucifer. Too bad Dennis thinks you're old. So y'all had a white Christmas in the land of no sun. Lovely.
The Dalai Lama and Tutu both? I may not be able to restrain myself from running to them and giving them a hug, so I guess that would not be behaving.
LJ, we had a lovely day. I hope that you did, too.
Merry Christmas, Grandmere I LOVE you!!
ReplyDeleteI hope that Santa was good to you I got Gravy and a New Collar....I hope Diana is OK. My sister Millerton Store the Kitty lost an eye too but she is OK.
I'm a dog, do you know that? There was a dog at the Manger. He kept Mary warm at night and did Protectioning.
oh for Gods sake I didn't mean that you were old. Just not what I imagined. at the gathering in New York I was told that I was older than one of that of that group imagined. We all operate in a world where we usually see only each other's words.
ReplyDeleteHere, will this make it better? I was the guy in the back with the early pattern balding and the blue sweater. There.
Oh, and Mimi, of course I read your blog. Daily. Like I wouldn't. Jewish mother, much?
Ouch. Be warned, casual readers, this place is passive aggressive!
(PS, Mimi, David says to tell you "hi" and "Merry Christmas")
Grendel! I love you, too. Thanks for visiting. Diana is doing fine. When I get my digital camera working, I'll take a picture so you can see what a nice cosmetic job the vet did when he removed her eye. She loves her new L. L. Bean bed that we bought her. It's the first one that she has not chewed up.
ReplyDeleteGrendel, we humans, including Mary, couldn't make it without the greatly superior canine species.
Dennis, tell David "Merry Christmas" from me.
Jewish mother I will accept, but passive-aggressive goes too far. Don't think that because you are a newly-minted clinical psychologist that you can go anywhere you like and make online diagnoses - even if we have met in person.
Merry Christmas, Grandmère (and Grandpère and Diana too).
ReplyDeleteDear Grendel, I think you are losing your misanthropic title, you have been a lovely channel of compassion and grace this Christmas. Blessings to you and all our non-human friends!
haven't been minted, yet, Mimi (don't graduate for another year and a half)
ReplyDeleteand I was just making a joke
sorry that it didn't come off so well
Dennis, love, I did not take you seriously. I knew you were joking. Please, do not take me seriously. I was joshing with you, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you have left to do now to get minted? I see that I don't understand the process.
Good. Glad you were just kidding. I thought that you were just being cranky with me!
ReplyDeleteWhat is left? oh, boy.
3 more terms of classes (ends in August)
finish this dissertation (I should defend it sometime in the fall)
and one year of predoc internship (which will be done by summer of 09)
and I will likely take 3 or 4 classes at some point over the course of the internship (if it is in Chicago I'll have to do them at some school there)
when I was celebrating being "done with classes" the other day it was only the end of last term. and let me tell you it was worth celebrating the end of that term. It took a bite out of my butt.
but there are three more to go. Keep your fingers crossed that I can survive with my sanity intact.
How is Diane doing, by the way?
Keep your fingers crossed that I can survive with my sanity intact.
ReplyDeleteDennis, crossing my fingers might be difficult for such a long period of time. I'll do better than that. I will pray and hope that by the time that you are freshly minted, that you won't be worn out and in the ranks of the mad.
Diana is doing great, thanks be to God, enjoying her new bed - the first she has not chewed up. Her wound healed beautifully.