Merry Christmas! from Marty

This letter from my dear friends Marty and Irene needs to be shared, as it offers a teaching that many of us often have never learned, and some may never read, since they do not read Maccabees.

This year Hanukkah began at sundown on Sunday December 21, and continues for a total of 8 days. *Until sundown tomorrow night...the 8th Candle was lit at sundown today.

The Fifth Candle of the Menorah spoken of by Marty was just being lit by the time my extended family began to arrive at the hotel where we met for the 20th year in a row, for a three day/two night reunion. It was really nice to see it in the window, and watch the next candle 'lit' as our time there progressed. When we checked out, there were two remaining candles still waiting (one at sundown on Saturday, the final one at sundown on Sunday--today).

Knowing about the 'Servant Candle' above the rest was nice, as I was able to mention that to my own children (and wish I had also thought to mention to my grandchildren, as I am sure that their parents would not have remembered to do...).

In my room, I put up a smaller Nativity Scene with just the basics... an Angel, some shepherds, sheep, and the Holy Family, with Jesus in the manger. That was a reminder to everyone who came to see our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (my Mom) of the real reason for o ur gathering. That Infant in the Manger is the 'Servant' who came to save us, and will come again in Glory.

God bless!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Marty
Date: Thu, Dec 25, 2008 at 9:11 AM

Hi Dear Friends,

We wish you a most deeply Merry Christmas. But much more, we wish you a Holy and Blessed Christmas! This is the moment of the arrival on earth of the Son of God! He redeemed us from the original sin of Adam and Eve, opened the kingdom of heaven for us, taught us how to prepare for heaven, and gave us the sanctifying grace to be able to prepare.

This year, our Jewish friends will still be celebrating Hanukkah while we celebrate the arrival on earth of the living God who created the heavens and the earth. After we have enjoyed our Christmas repast, opened the presents under the tree, sung our carols and all the rest, after the sun sets, our Jewish friends will be lighting the fifth Hanukkah candle. Hanukkah celebrates a true series of historical events 165 years before Christmas. Each year our Jewish friends sing this song to celebrate Yehuda haMaccabi's heroic Hanukkah, re-dedication of the Temple:

*Maoz tzur yeshuati, lecha nae leshabeakh – tikon bet tefilati,
vesham todah nezabeakh*.
"The rock of my salvation, to you we send our praises,
my house of prayer is up, and there we will give thanks with sacrifices."

Our Jewish friends remember (2 Macc 6:18-31) Eleazar's heroic acceptance of death rather than violate God's Law given by Moses. They remember (2 Macc 7:1-41) the mother and her seven sons, all of whom also accepted death rather than violate God's Law. And they remember Yehuda haMaccabi's (Judah the Hammer) awesome military victory over Antiochus IV, his Hanukkah, (re-dedication) of the Temple, and how, to complete the Hanukkah he needed
eight days to press and prepare new oil but had only one day's olive oil for the eternal lamp
(Lev 6:13), yet the lamp miraculously remained lit all that time. To this day, Jews celebrate the Hanukkah by lighting a menorah with eight candles, one for each of the eight days. It also has one candle above the rest, the shamash, the humble servant candle, not counted among the eight, but used to light the others, reminding us of the joyful birth of the Light of the World.

We owe God first but also our Jewish friends, particularly Judah the Hammer of God, for his victory against the forces of the murderous Antiochus IV, who had tried to blot out Judaism from the face of the earth. If Judah and his army had not fought with magnificent faith and courage, Antiochus might have succeeded. If he had, there might have been no Christmas. Jesus had to be in the line of David. No Jews, no line of David, no Mary, no Jesus.

So, this Christmas, let us remember Eleazar's martyrdom, and the martyrdom of the mother and her seven sons, all of whom also accepted death rather than violate God's Law. We have many heroic martyrs to emulate--my favorite is St. Ignatius of Antioch (see his Letter to the Romans)--but this year I'd like to hold up Eleazer, the mother and her seven sons, and Judah the Hammer of God.
May we too be so focused on God that we would give our very lives for Him. This was extraordinary heroism in the Hebrew Scriptures, but in the New Testament it is simply what the Son of God calls us to do. Jesus said,

(Mt 10:39) "He who finds his life will lose it,
and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."
And we are called to witness:

(Mt 10:40) "He who receives you receives me,
and he who receives me receives
him who sent me."

At every moment of our lives, let us reflect Christ's glory back to Him, and to one another.

Let us remember too that Christmas will not be over after the Christmas dinner is completed, the gifts are opened, the singing is done, night falls, and our Jewish friends have lit their fifth candle. The Twelve Days of Christmas are traditionally the days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany. Catholic Culture tells us that the Christmas season thisyear continues for 17 days, until the feast of the Baptism of Christ. Let's celebrate them all!

At the same time, let's recall that we're living in an extraordinary age of salvation history, one in which Satan is far more active than usual. It's fascinating to watch the phony "religions" celebrated only once a year, all of them around Christmas time, deliberately to distract us from Christmas. Offices all over this land celebrate the winter solstice with parties and festivities, yet not one celebrates the summer solstice, or the spring and fall equinoxes. Along with the phony religions are phony charges against the Catholic faith. Let's look at particularly at the charge, "It comes from pagans." These distractions are placed before us to make us lose track of our pure
celebration of Christmas.


Let us celebrate our own Hanukkah by re-dedicating our temple to the living Christ. (1 Cor 3:16) "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." Let us empty ourselves to let Christ fill us. If you're so inclined, after everyone has gone home, night has fallen, and our Jewish friends have lit their fifth candle, open your Bible to
St. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 5, re-read the entire Sermon on the Mount, perhaps by candle light, and reflect on how we might live as He lived.

Have a Holy and Blessed Christmas!

With all our love,

Marty & Irene <><