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Christmas is a very special time of year. It is a time of celebration, good will and miracles. It is also a time of year when many people spend time together with their families and friends. And it is a time of traditions and dreams. History Christmas is a very old holiday, whose traditions are drawn from many different times, places and cultures. The birth of Jesus Christ The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is the focus of the Christmas holiday and a part of the reason that it is widely celebrated today. Many of the traditions surrounding the Christmas holiday revolve around the Nativity Story, or the story of Jesus’ birth. The Nativity Story is essentially drawn from two Gospels in the Holy Bible, the Gospel according to Matthew and the Gospel according to Luke. The following is a summary of the Nativity Story; however, the full story can be found in the Holy Bible or at www.bible.cc. King Herod and Cesar Augustus – Approximately 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire occupied much of Europe, North Africa and areas around the Mediterranean Sea. These occupied lands included Israel, located on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. The ruler of the Roman Empire at the time of the Nativity Story was Caesar Augustus (63BC – 14AD), who succeeded Julius Caesar as the emperor of Rome. Israel during the time of occupation was known as a client-state. As a client-state, it was essentially a colony and was therefore subject to the law of the Roman Empire. However, client-states would have local rulers (e.g. kings) that would enforce local laws. Generally, these local rulers would be loyal or subservient to the Roman Empire. The local ruler in Israel at the time of the Nativity Story was King Herod, also known as King Herod the Great. Joseph and Mary – According to the Gospel of Luke, Joseph was a man who lived in the town of Nazareth, located in Northern Israel. Joseph was also a descendent of King David. Mary, who also lived in Nazareth, was a young woman set to be married to Joseph. Before they were married, an angel named Gabriel appeared to her. Gabriel announced to Mary that soon she would be with a child, and that she was to name his Jesus. At the time, Mary was still a virgin. She asked the angel, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” Gabriel responded, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. That she was pregnant with a child was certainly a miracle. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph was contemplating leaving Mary when he found out she was pregnant without him, but wanted to do so quietly so as not to disgrace her. However, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”, and that Mary and Joseph were to name him Jesus. The birth of Jesus – Shortly thereafter, Caesar Augustus stated that a census should be taken across the entire Roman world. The Gospel of Luke states that, as Joseph was of the line of David, he was required to go to Bethlehem, the town of David, to register. Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, and while they were there, it was time for Jesus to be born. Mary gave birth to Jesus, and Joseph and Mary attempted to get a room at the local inn. However, there was no room at the inn on this particular night, so Mary and Joseph took refuge, and Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. In fields nearby, shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks. An angel appeared to the shepherds and announced to them that in Bethlehem a Savior was born, and they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Then a “great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” The shepherds then went to Bethlehem to find Jesus. When they found him, they spread word of the events that had taken place, and praised and gave glory to God. The wise men from the east – Shortly after Jesus was born, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem asking “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod found out that the wise men were searching for the King of the Jews , he became worried. He sent the wise men out to find the newborn, and said that when they found Him, they should report back to Herod. The wise men then went out, and continued to follow the star until it rested over the place where Jesus was. When they found Him, they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. They then opened treasures they had brought with them, and they were gold, frankincense and myrrh. Later, in a dream, they were warned by God not to return to Herod, and they departed Israel. This is the end of the Nativity Story in the Bible.
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Današnji datum: 9. veljače 2014. Bogojavljenje je blagdan sveopćeg poslanja Crkve. Dolazak Mudraca u Jeruzalem je znak okupljanja svih rasa i naroda oko Krista u jedan te isti narod, Božji narod. Čitanje svetog Evanđelja po Mateju Kad se Isus rodio u Betlehemu judejskome u dane Heroda kralja, gle, mudraci se s istoka pojaviše u Jeruzalemu raspitujući se: "Gdje je taj novorođeni kralj židovski? Vidjesmo gdje izlazi zvijezda njegova pa mu se dođosmo pokloniti." Kada to doču kralj Herod, uznemiri se on i sav Jeruzalem s njime. Sazva sve glavare svećeničke i pismoznance narodne pa ih ispitivaše gdje se Krist ima roditi. Oni mu odgovoriše: "U Betlehemu judejskome jer ovako piše prorok: A ti, Betleheme, zemljo Judina! Nipošto nisi najmanji među kneževstvima Judinim jer iz tebe će izaći vladalac koji će pasti narod moj - Izraela! Tada Herod potajno dozva mudrace i razazna od njih vrijeme kad se pojavila zvijezda. Zatim ih posla u Betlehem: "Pođite, reče, i pomno se raspitajte za dijete. Kad ga nađete, javite mi da i ja pođem te mu se poklonim." Oni saslušavši kralja, pođoše. I gle, zvijezda kojoj vidješe izlazak iđaše pred njima sve dok ne stiže i zaustavi se povrh mjesta gdje bijaše dijete. Kad ugledaše zvijezdu, obradovaše se radošću veoma velikom. Uđu u kuću, ugledaju dijete s Marijom, majkom njegovom, padnu ničice i poklone mu se. Otvore zatim svoje blago i prinesu mu darove: zlato, tamjan i smirnu. Upućeni zatim u snu da se ne vraćaju Herodu, otiđoše drugim putem u svoju zemlju (Mt 2,1-12). Bogojavljenje je blagdan sveopćeg poslanja Crkve. Dolazak Mudraca u Jeruzalem je znak okupljanja svih rasa i naroda oko Krista u jedan te isti narod, Božji narod. Na današnji dan je Bog po zvijezdi prethodnici objavio rođenje svoga Sina Jedinorođenca, a mi smo ga upoznali svjetlom vjere. Na ovaj blagdan događa se otajstvo rođenja Sina Božjega u Betlehemu, on izlazi iz svoje skrivnosti. Samo je mali broj ljudi do tada bio na neki način uvučen u ta buduća zbivanja: Marija i Josip, kao i pastiri. Taj veliki događaj koji se dogodio na Zemlji, mnogima nije bilo dano upoznati , tek su anđeli u nebu o tome znali, slavili i veličali Boga zbog njegove Ljubavi i Milosti prema ljudima. U jednom izvjesnom vremenu dogodilo se da su mudri, bogati i moćni ljudi s Istoka, dakle «Sveta tri kralja» , odlučili potražiti dijete Isusa. I bili su vođeni ka Djetetu jednim čudesnim nebeskim znakom – jednom zvijezdom koja im se pojavila. I budući da su bili učeni i s iskustvom u promatranju kretanja nebeskih tijela, mogli su taj znak i protumačiti ispravno: Kraljevsko dijete se rodilo na spas svijeta, i to je moralo biti u židovskoj zemlji. I nisu žalili niti truda, niti vremena ovi plemeniti ljudi i uputiše se sa svojom pratnjom u pravcu Jeruzalema. Nadali su se tamo pronaći Novorođenoga Kralja židovskog. A iznenađenje je bilo veliko kad su saznali da tamo nitko ništa nezna o novorođenom Djetetu Mesiji. Niti Herod, silnik, od Rima podržavani vladar, također ništa nije znao. I zato je bio silno uzbuđen kad je saznao za taj događaj i odmah je naredio da se ispita točno mjesto Isusovog rođenja. I kad je saznao da se mjesto zove Betlehem, s prikrivenom zlom namejrom poslao je mudrace u tom smjeru. Oni su ga trebali informirati čim pronađu Dijete. I on sam bi rado došao i poklonio se pred Djetetom. A zapravo je namjeravao ubiti mogućeg rivala. Kako je dojmljiva vjera ovih mudraca sa Istoka! Na svom putu nisu imali nikakvu sigurnost, osim zvijezde koja je u njihovim srcima održavala nadu. Nisu se dali zaslijepiti sjajem Herodovog dvora, nego su nastavili dalje dok nisu našli Dijete kako leži povijeno u jaslicama. I njihova vjera niti jednim trenom nije bila poljuljana, nego se baciše na koljena i iskazaše počest Bogu i Kralju koji pred njima ležaše. Donijeli su mu najdragocjenije što su imali: zlato za Kralja, tamjan za pravog Boga i mirnu kao znak njegove ljudskosti, predznak njegovog ukopa. Ovim darovima darovaše mudraci same sebe, svoje srce, svoj život ovom čudesnom Djetetu, koje je došlo promijeniti tok povijesti. Bili su spremni vratiti se s Radosnom viješću da su pronašli onog kojeg su čitav život tražili. Svoju nadu ubuduće će upravljati u nebo, jer savršenstvo dolazi od Boga koji će ih nakon njihove smrti primiti k sebi. Nemogu li i nas ovi mudri kraljevi potkanuti da i sami u svim previranjima našeg života nikada ne zaboravimo tražiti Dijete Isusa? Oni nas upućuju da i sami svoju zvijezdu slijedimo, onako kako nam u našoj savjesti osvjetljuje pravi put. Za nas traba biti jedino važno: Tražiti Istinu o Bogu i Spasitelju i nje se pridržavati. Boga i Kralja tamo moliti gdje ga možemo naći. Na poseban način nam je čovjekom postali Sin Božji prisutan u svojoj Riječi i u svome Sakramentu svete Euharistije. Dođimo i tamo mu se zajedno s Marijom i Josipom i pastirima pomolimo. Pokleknimo zajedno s mudracima s Istoka koji sve donesoše što imadoše. Darujmo i mi sami Isusu sve što imamo – naše svakodnevne patnje i grijehe!