Christmas Journey: St. Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus* that the whole world should be enrolled.2This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.3So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.4And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,a5to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.b" Luke Ch/1-5
Angels are on their journey with Mother Church in the Christmas season of 2012. They are up to date in day today events in the world and in universe. They walk through the streets, drive through the roads, sail through the seas, and fly through the skies and space singing Gloria, which they sang on the first Christmas. They are exited to see the signs of Christmas everywhere on the earth. Joining them and in tune with the world's natural events around my existence in space and time, I set out to reflect on Christmas joy. Christmas journey is joyful for all in the world. It is filled with anticipations expectations, relationship, friendship, love, and charity.The first of the signs of Christmas to appear is Christmas lights. The Christmas light decorates the houses, streets, roads, and business places, which announces the arrival of Christmas season. Among all the institutions on earth, the business places announces the arrival of Christmas a week ago. Here in USA, business places hold the decorations of Christmas including, lights and music just after the thanksgiving festival, which is usually third or fourth Thursday of November. Joining them, last week, the moon was elegant and brilliant on Memphis sky in announcing the arrival of Christmas Season. Clear sky, cold breeze, bright full moon, and the sight of street Christmas lights, roadside Christmas Star lights were some of the Christmas announcement here and near to my dwelling.
Two thousand years ago, St. Joseph and Mary were on a journey. The journey of purposeful call of their life. As I reflect on their journey, I am excited to see the Holy Angels excitement. They were in discussion on the reflection of St. Joseph on his journey with Mary to Bethlehem. Then, St. Joseph drew their attention to the Mother Church and Its faith Journey, which he equated mother Church's journey on earth to his journey with Mary to Bethlehem, in this year of Faith 2012. Holy Angels were intrigued by his answer and his approach to the story. They share his joy and excitement as he is so excited in showing Angels the ordinary people's faith in the Mother Church and their journey, seeking the word of God in their life. He took them around the world among the pilgrim destinations and showed them the simple faith which shines as fire and stars in the bosom of Mother Church. With St. Joseph, Holy Angels joined all the pilgrims who seek God with their faith and action. They also visited the humble dwellings of faithful and they thanked God for the gifts of them to this world. Today they travel among the rural destinations of India.
They arrived in a Coastal village, where they witness poor families raising their children in the midst of severe poverty, yet the faith in their hearts burns as fragrant incense among the community. Angels travel through the cities, where they see the middle class families, who are focused on raising their families in shear parental sacrifices and hard work, which is indescribable miracles of God in the Mother Church. They journey along the roads in crowded buses, on rails in crowded railways, and on the roads where people walk with bare foot even today, yet St. Joseph and Angels are happy to see the seeds of faith in the faithful hearts, which is so powerful beyond their understanding. They travel through the business places, they are in the witness of seeing wonder of the unity in diversity for faith, where Hindus, Muslims, and Christians irrespective of their religions, bear the signs of Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas slogans and signs.They thank God for this gift. St. Joseph and Angles travel among the people as they witness people are in preparation for Christmas Season. Many make plans to travel and they rush to book tickets. Buses and trains tickets are far booked and full. Among the travel plans, many families make plans to travel to pilgrim destinations to celebrate Christmas. Among the pilgrim Christmas travels, St. Joseph drew Angels' attention to a group of people, who walk on foot about or more than 500 Km every year from their houses to the Shrine of Velankanni to celebrate Christmas. Velankanni is a Basilica in South India, where the Miraculous church of Mother Our Lady of Velankanni is situated in a coastal area. Very popular, miraculous, faith uplifting place in India. It is known as Lourdes of East. People come to this place in multitudes with intercessions and return to their home with joy and peace. Miracles are every minute event in this shrine, where even Hindus, Muslims, and all the religion come along with Christians to seek the remedies through our Lady's intercession. A wonderful opportunity an example of how mother Church minister to the world both Christians and non Christians. In this our lady Shrine, healing both body and mind, conversions of hearts and souls, peace, joy, prosperity, and family relational healing, marriage, business employment, education, gift of children, vocation, etc... are most witnessed miracles which are almost everyday event. Every day, people arrive to this Church making pilgrimage from all over the world.
St. Joseph discusses his journey comparing with one of these faith filled ordinary people pilgrimage to Velankanni. The total journey takes about 10 to 15 days from Chennai by walk. The group consists of more than 50 people belong to 5 to 6 families. They pack their food,clothes, and necessities and carry them with them as they journey, as St. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, when many of their relatives were also among the travelers These pilgrims to Velankanni walk and pray while they journey. They pray hundreds of rosaries and sing hundreds of Songs as they travel along the road side, which could be an ordeal, even if we exclude physical strains comes from travel. They walk through out the day and rest along the road side in the night. They do not seek hotels or inns to stay in the night, although they are afford to do so. Many among them are highly educated and hold very high positions in the society. However, when the matter of faith comes they become like innocent children. This very fact, makes their faith as an unique gift of Mother Church to the world. They travel with family trusting God. Likewise, there are multiple groups travel every year to this shrine by walk. St. Joseph explains his excitement of his last year travel with these faithful group and he explained to Angels how much important to protect such faith that gives lot of joy to heaven and liberates many souls on earth. He also equated his journey to Bethlehem to the simple faith of these ordinary family's faith filled journey as pilgrims.
Next, St. Joseph and Holy Angels travel back in time to St. Francis of Assisi time. When they arrived to Assisi in the time of St. Francis of Assisi, they saw St. Francis in the meadows and woods praising God with nature. They saw St. Francis and his followers preparing and celebrating Christmas with pure heart, simple faith, innocent approach to infant Jesus in the manger. St. Joseph was excited in explaining Holy Angels the power of simple soul as St. Francis's faith, which shined forth in building the mystical body of Church of his time and beyond. He also equated his journey to Bethlehem to the spiritual journey life of St. Francis of Assisi.
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Angels are on their journey with Mother Church in the Christmas season of 2012. They are up to date in day today events in the world and in universe. They walk through the streets, drive through the roads, sail through the seas, and fly through the skies and space singing Gloria, which they sang on the first Christmas. They are exited to see the signs of Christmas everywhere on the earth. Joining them and in tune with the world's natural events around my existence in space and time, I set out to reflect on Christmas joy. Christmas journey is joyful for all in the world. It is filled with anticipations expectations, relationship, friendship, love, and charity.The first of the signs of Christmas to appear is Christmas lights. The Christmas light decorates the houses, streets, roads, and business places, which announces the arrival of Christmas season. Among all the institutions on earth, the business places announces the arrival of Christmas a week ago. Here in USA, business places hold the decorations of Christmas including, lights and music just after the thanksgiving festival, which is usually third or fourth Thursday of November. Joining them, last week, the moon was elegant and brilliant on Memphis sky in announcing the arrival of Christmas Season. Clear sky, cold breeze, bright full moon, and the sight of street Christmas lights, roadside Christmas Star lights were some of the Christmas announcement here and near to my dwelling.
Two thousand years ago, St. Joseph and Mary were on a journey. The journey of purposeful call of their life. As I reflect on their journey, I am excited to see the Holy Angels excitement. They were in discussion on the reflection of St. Joseph on his journey with Mary to Bethlehem. Then, St. Joseph drew their attention to the Mother Church and Its faith Journey, which he equated mother Church's journey on earth to his journey with Mary to Bethlehem, in this year of Faith 2012. Holy Angels were intrigued by his answer and his approach to the story. They share his joy and excitement as he is so excited in showing Angels the ordinary people's faith in the Mother Church and their journey, seeking the word of God in their life. He took them around the world among the pilgrim destinations and showed them the simple faith which shines as fire and stars in the bosom of Mother Church. With St. Joseph, Holy Angels joined all the pilgrims who seek God with their faith and action. They also visited the humble dwellings of faithful and they thanked God for the gifts of them to this world. Today they travel among the rural destinations of India.
They arrived in a Coastal village, where they witness poor families raising their children in the midst of severe poverty, yet the faith in their hearts burns as fragrant incense among the community. Angels travel through the cities, where they see the middle class families, who are focused on raising their families in shear parental sacrifices and hard work, which is indescribable miracles of God in the Mother Church. They journey along the roads in crowded buses, on rails in crowded railways, and on the roads where people walk with bare foot even today, yet St. Joseph and Angels are happy to see the seeds of faith in the faithful hearts, which is so powerful beyond their understanding. They travel through the business places, they are in the witness of seeing wonder of the unity in diversity for faith, where Hindus, Muslims, and Christians irrespective of their religions, bear the signs of Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas slogans and signs.They thank God for this gift. St. Joseph and Angles travel among the people as they witness people are in preparation for Christmas Season. Many make plans to travel and they rush to book tickets. Buses and trains tickets are far booked and full. Among the travel plans, many families make plans to travel to pilgrim destinations to celebrate Christmas. Among the pilgrim Christmas travels, St. Joseph drew Angels' attention to a group of people, who walk on foot about or more than 500 Km every year from their houses to the Shrine of Velankanni to celebrate Christmas. Velankanni is a Basilica in South India, where the Miraculous church of Mother Our Lady of Velankanni is situated in a coastal area. Very popular, miraculous, faith uplifting place in India. It is known as Lourdes of East. People come to this place in multitudes with intercessions and return to their home with joy and peace. Miracles are every minute event in this shrine, where even Hindus, Muslims, and all the religion come along with Christians to seek the remedies through our Lady's intercession. A wonderful opportunity an example of how mother Church minister to the world both Christians and non Christians. In this our lady Shrine, healing both body and mind, conversions of hearts and souls, peace, joy, prosperity, and family relational healing, marriage, business employment, education, gift of children, vocation, etc... are most witnessed miracles which are almost everyday event. Every day, people arrive to this Church making pilgrimage from all over the world.
St. Joseph discusses his journey comparing with one of these faith filled ordinary people pilgrimage to Velankanni. The total journey takes about 10 to 15 days from Chennai by walk. The group consists of more than 50 people belong to 5 to 6 families. They pack their food,clothes, and necessities and carry them with them as they journey, as St. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, when many of their relatives were also among the travelers These pilgrims to Velankanni walk and pray while they journey. They pray hundreds of rosaries and sing hundreds of Songs as they travel along the road side, which could be an ordeal, even if we exclude physical strains comes from travel. They walk through out the day and rest along the road side in the night. They do not seek hotels or inns to stay in the night, although they are afford to do so. Many among them are highly educated and hold very high positions in the society. However, when the matter of faith comes they become like innocent children. This very fact, makes their faith as an unique gift of Mother Church to the world. They travel with family trusting God. Likewise, there are multiple groups travel every year to this shrine by walk. St. Joseph explains his excitement of his last year travel with these faithful group and he explained to Angels how much important to protect such faith that gives lot of joy to heaven and liberates many souls on earth. He also equated his journey to Bethlehem to the simple faith of these ordinary family's faith filled journey as pilgrims.
Next, St. Joseph and Holy Angels travel back in time to St. Francis of Assisi time. When they arrived to Assisi in the time of St. Francis of Assisi, they saw St. Francis in the meadows and woods praising God with nature. They saw St. Francis and his followers preparing and celebrating Christmas with pure heart, simple faith, innocent approach to infant Jesus in the manger. St. Joseph was excited in explaining Holy Angels the power of simple soul as St. Francis's faith, which shined forth in building the mystical body of Church of his time and beyond. He also equated his journey to Bethlehem to the spiritual journey life of St. Francis of Assisi.
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