Here is Emmanuel

A great echo
sends a vibrant pulse
through time
begun with a Word voiced:
Emmanuel.

A breath expressed,
the world reverberates;
ideas crash,
with gravity impelled:
Here is Emmanuel.

Unstoppable justice,
unfathomable light;
a reforming ignites
an upsurge in grace:
The afterglow of Emmanuel.

Through swells of time,
the echo resounds;
leaning in,
I absorb the tone:
A penetrating Promise, Emmanuel.

copyrighted by Nancy E. Thoerig
December 31, 2004

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From Pope Benedict XVI's noontime Urbi et Orbi Christmas 2008 Message:

"Brothers and sisters, all you who are listening to my words: this proclamation of hope – the heart of the Christmas message – is meant for all men and women. Jesus was born for everyone, and just as Mary, in Bethlehem, offered him to the shepherds, so on this day the Church presents him to all humanity, so that each person and every human situation may come to know the power of God’s saving grace, which alone can transform evil into good, which alone can change human hearts, making them oases of peace."

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A beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night" with Celine Dion:




Merry, holy, healthy, happy, blessed, lovely Christmas