The Key West Citizen Newspaper, December 24, 1953, Page 6

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? | By JOSEPH L. REMIAS Chaplain, U. $. Navy There is in man, the creature, an urge that is irresistible. It | teaches out to the Creator. Essentially, it is a hunger and thirst for | God. Christmas is heaven's answer to the cry of the human heart in | Ms search for happiness that is ultimate and final. God is Love. | ‘Twas The Night Before Christ- Christmas is Love Incarnate. It is the birth in the flesh ot the One| mas! it’s just about this “time Who makes God known to us in the personal way He wants to be (o’year” that all Christendom is known, loved and served. The human mind has always sought to jcelebrating the most important of jer the likeness of God. Now, in the Person of Jesus Christ, jbirthdays. May the true meaning we have God’s Idea of Himself. Christmas is the birthday of Christ, | of Christmas lift is conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” | ee ee story of a God Who became man that man might become courage and bring son God, | you and yours re- | newed spiritual Christmas is proof that man is the object of Divine Love. Man} strength and a very to be loved. He craves to be loved not merely as a member happy holiday. Every one likes & group or one of a crowd but as an individual person. God 80/ Christmas, so if you will bear with us. He has made us to His image, enriched us with His me a few moments, I will try to and made us His children and heirs. “When the fullness of tell you a bit about the origin of ime, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born: under the|the things that are dear to your , that he might redeem those who were under the Law, that heart at Christmas time. receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, | EER sent the Spirit of his Son into vour hearts.” (Gal, 4:46) | The Christmas Candle: In the can be no doubt anymore about the dignity, the sacred. earliest times the lighted candle in the value of a human being. His life can never again be \the window was an expression of worthless. That is what St. John meant when he wrote |religious belief. Gleaming in the epistle:that God so loved the world that He sent His Only-Be- |darkness, it was a symbol of the Son to save it; and that is the meaning of Christmas, star of Bethlehem. And yet, no Christmas is the consolation of knowing that God is no longer a | ete eat aor far-distant, invisible, unknowable being but that Jesus, “though He Catistnns Worship was by nature God, He appeared in the form of man.” (Phil. II:6-7). is our divine gift £ Christmas is the feat of human dignity. It is the birthday of nal is our divine gift for EAUTY ITS rayfield boa rf iy ie dom because it is God Who makes men free, Christmas is the bridge ts Gea we -— Dl between God and Man. God’s quest for man and man’s quest for! jes the ha es 7 ve j God are united. Christmas is neighborliness. It is the realization| a sth ‘ ie mas spirit when that what we do for our fellowman out of love of Christ we do to! oe = ati Be nag in the chureh Him because we are all created by Him after His own image and\ rile t he Pray and sing likeness, That is why we kneel 0: Christmas day, in simplicity and se a ‘ Tats t of the birth of| faith, at the crib of the Babe of Bthlehem and nlcd-e ourselves a- Gea is is the true Christ-) new to imitate, follow and reproduce His meekness and humble-| hore] d ~ slow of people ness of heart, His dedication of se !f, His love of His Heavenly Fa- lot cate essed by the birth) ther and of all human beings . Be happy that you believe in Christmas. You believe not merely | Jolly Old St. Nicholes: The in a day of celebration and g'fis but in the day when God gave Him- |visits of Santa Claus, bearing! self for love of us, gifts properly belong to December 6, the day of St. Nicholas, a very kind old man who was very gen- erous to the needy. Santa is Teally a ghost ef that good o° Nic. holas went) Ziavses for Christmas Eve helpers.'tide season to say ycur vows, I! If there had never been a St. Nic- wish a very special Merry Christ- holas, who was a real man, no.mas, and to each of you others, stockings would have deen put out here’s hoping your Christmas is a on Christmas: Eve for surprise merry one—sweet as 3 candy cane, Sifts. So it is still a mystery about glowing as the candle, and merry old St. Nick, and it is from heaven as old St. Nick aimself! Cheerio! that this mystery comes. i: -ae -- = Christmas Tree: No one seems x4, to be too positive about the origin of the Christ- mas tree, but it would seem to be traceable to the Roman Saturna- lia and was possibly first imported into Germany with the conquering legions of Drusus. (Whats zat?) The decorated tree has become a universal tradition, which each member of the family enjoys. Mey All the Joys of the Christmas Season Warm Your Heart .. . and Abide With You Throughout the New Year CIFELLI'S RESTAURANT 920 TRUMAN AVENUE To Our Friends and Customers STAR * BRAND COFFEE MILL mas, so the tree is associated with ing churches at Chrisiuwas with J. T. SANCHEZ, Prop. holly and evergreens is an ancient Holly: The foliage is used for scenes .f good will and rejoicing. The one, and has been carried into the) homes, for spreading of Christmas} decoration at Christ- ages custom of decorat- 5 cheer, Christmas Cards: Little thought! is given to Christmas Cards, once they are delivered, read and laid jaside. A friend of mine received a Christmas card bear- ing this original mes- sage, which was com piled by Bill Bowen. I'll pass this thought along to you. There’s a mystery that has never been solved, I fear, What happens to the Christmas cards each year? | Do you save yours, or shouldn’t I ask it? | Or do you file them in the waste paper basket. { For those I mail out, I think that I know | Precisely the place that most of them go. But I saved those received back for Every Purpose Through the years many delightful traditions have grown up around the Holiday Season. Of these, most im- portant to us is the custom of expressing appreciation for the very pleasant asso- ciations we enjoy with our business friends, WE EXTEND OUR THANKS and MOST CORDIAL about gen- erous a... .1 see-| Season’s Greetings in fifty-one in fifty-one + “and best wishes: ¢ ¥ $ The Maxwell Co., Inc. ss ret. He slipped Ang 1’ll use them money, silver and again just to have gold through key-' some fun, Now holes or under you may get back SPEAS PLATE GLASS doors of poor peo- Ple, makmg families happy, and claiming no credit for his good deeds. Nicholas was a kind man, ing joy to the little ones, It’s real- comes down the chimney and de- to all the tiny tots. Santa Claus very often takes a human form. There are so many chimneys in the world, and children wake up |SO very, very early frolicking about on Christmas morn, that nowa- jdays even a ghost hasn’t time to go around the world in a single night. So you see, the ghost of St. Nick splits him- self up into little atoms of kind- May y.ur- Christmas be ness, and these end your New Year prosp< hearts of fathers, mothers, uncles and aunts, guardians and friends, and turn them all into Santa and now he is a kind ghost, bring-| ly quite simple because it is truly the “spirit” of St. Nicholas who! livers the nice yuletide surprises| atoms, like seed take roots in the! COMPANY 1114 WHITE STREET TELEPHONE 2-2751 the same card that you sent, Or jone from some other Lady or Gent. And just as the cards lasted all I peal eipey ae to my § é . = wishes for you. For I’m hoping that Happiness, Health and Good Cheer May be yours for Christmas and all through the year. Christmas Holds A Special sig- nificance for my better half and me, as four years ago today, on| \Christmas Eve, we plighted : our |troth, in a simple but impressive jlittle church wedding. We had been humming “You're all I want for Christmas’’ so Santa obliged. To any others who are celebrating a Christmas Anni- versary or have chosen this yule- THOMPSON | ENTERPRISES, Inc. 813 CAROLINE STREET May the Christmas message we extend to all of . ons...wishing you health, >and joy and friendship be with you through all the New Year Island Ci 222 ty Luncheonette DUVAL STREET Christmas will hold for you all that q, (Ulu.s RES ‘RANT: LUIGI and , 2 227 Duval Street 435-7 \ ton Aven KEY WEST MIA. u BEAC*: We sincerely ho,-e isict tisis good and that your enjoyment will last through a New Yeor of rand health and success, 4 Peace on earth good will to men. 4 EISNER FURNITURE C°. 3426 DUCK AVENUE a THE KEY WEST CITIZE. [td] S22 ereesnwweeewemommes : i i .