Editor’s Note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell on The Tabernacle Choir, which airs every Sunday on Temple Square. This was announced by actor Neal McDonough. 2021 Christmas Concert. this is previously aired It will be awarded again on December 25, 2022.
In my ancestral country, Ireland, Christmas traditions have given the holiday a deep meaning and purpose. They help families welcome the Christ Child into their lives on Christmas Day and throughout the year. It meant ironing and cooking special meals for the family on their way home. ”, in other words, there is no place like home. And that’s especially true at Christmas.
Today, our family lives far from Emerald Island, but we still prepare for Christmas the traditional way. It’s about remembering others, reconciling differences, and returning kindness. Even the old Irish custom of taking a dip in the icy sea on Christmas morning was an invitation to wash away the old and start anew.
One of the Irish Christmas traditions that has spread around the world is putting candles in the windows. It reminds me of the Holy Family seeking refuge but finding no room at the inn. It was also a sign that the poor, the weary, and the downtrodden could find refuge within themselves.
Of course, the light in the dark is also symbolic of the Christ Child Himself, the light of the world. In our time, whether it’s a candle in the window or a light in the eye, Christmas is the time to show your love and willingness to serve those in need. Sometimes at home, always in my heart.
In towns and villages across the island, Irish people live simply. But that doesn’t stop us from decorating our homes for Christmas. And the most universal decoration is available to rich and poor alike. In my grandparents’ time, children were sent to clear the hills for holly branches, which were then fashioned into traditional wreaths and hung over wooden cottage doors.
It made perfect sense at the time, because the holly is the symbol of the holy child, the child who will someday wear the crown of thorns, and that drop of blood symbolizes his sacrifice for all mankind. . That sharp crown and crimson dew is a reminder that we are not suffering alone. And for those who believe in Christ, it is the conviction that He was born to heal us, comfort us, and redeem us from the sorrows of life. This is perhaps the most comforting symbol that the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of healing and hope that makes the holiday truly holy.
In response to Caesar Augustus’ tax decree, Mary and Joseph returned to their ancestral homeland of Bethlehem. while they were there, as prophesied, [Mary] must be delivered. There was no room for them in the inn, so she gave birth to her first-born son and laid him in a manger. ” It was an irreplaceable event. But if their experience was even remotely similar to what my wife and I experienced when our five children were born, joy is not enough words to convey the feelings that are in their hearts. We sing our joy to the world at Christmas.
The symbol of a newborn baby is a reminder that Christmas is an opportunity for all of us to start a new life. Thank you God for all your blessings, especially Christmas.
In that same country, “shepherds stayed in the fields and kept watch over their flock by night.” An angel of the Lord appeared on the barren hills near Bethlehem, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them You were born today in the city of David the Savior, Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: you will find a baby lying in a manger, and suddenly the heavenly hordes with angels will appear, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest! Let there be peace on earth and goodwill to men.” ”
Tuning…
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