Christian Discussion Thread VIII: Augustine's Revenge.

by **Constantinopolis** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:38 pm

On a completely different note...

This is a video taken outside St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo shortly after the bomb attack there earlier this month. Egyptian Christians getting together to chant the Nicene Creed.

by **Rio Cana** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 5:09 pm

Over here they celebrate Christmas on the 24. So Merry Christmas!
A popular traditional song for this time of season -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3BWkhmDD0c

by **The Princes of the Universe** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 7:40 pm

Byzantine hymns are beautiful. Const was right - the ones for Christmas don't appear to have quite the same triumphant mood our hymns in the West do - but the style is absolutely breathtaking.

by **Thermodolia** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 7:46 pm

Merry Christmas my Christian friends

by **Salus Maior** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:03 pm

Thermodolia wrote:Merry Christmas my Christian friends

And Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends

by **Hashemite Arabiyah** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:05 pm

Happy birthday Jesus!

by **Luminesa** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:25 pm

Hashemite Arabiyah wrote:
(Image)
Happy birthday Jesus!

Shall we bake the Holy Baby a cake?

by **The Princes of the Universe** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:33 pm

Luminesa wrote:
Hashemite Arabiyah wrote:
(Image)
Happy birthday Jesus!

Shall we bake the Holy Baby a cake?

What kind of cake would one bake for Him? :unsure:

by **The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:37 pm

The Princes of the Universe wrote:
Luminesa wrote:Shall we bake the Holy Baby a cake?

What kind of cake would one bake for Him?

Angel cake?

by **The Princes of the Universe** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:38 pm

The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp wrote:
The Princes of the Universe wrote:What kind of cake would one bake for Him?

Angel cake?

Maybe a tres leches?

by **The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:41 pm

The Princes of the Universe wrote:
The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp wrote:Angel cake?

Maybe a tres leches?

Cheese cake?

by **Luminesa** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:02 pm

The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp wrote:
The Princes of the Universe wrote:Maybe a tres leches?

Cheese cake?

Why not all three?

We three cakes...

by **The Princes of the Universe** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:02 pm

Luminesa wrote:
The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp wrote:Cheese cake?

Why not all three?
We three cakes...

I needed that laugh. :lol2:

by **Lady Scylla** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:20 pm

We've our obvious disagreements -- quite strongly in some cases -- and despite my incendiary debates on occasion, I thought I'd wish you lot a Merry Christmas. :hug:

by **Germanic Templars** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:34 pm

It has been a year since I have been to church and going back for Christmas mass was quite nice to see some familiar faces and distant family.

by **Hakons** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:36 pm

Lady Scylla wrote:We've our obvious disagreements -- quite strongly in some cases -- and despite my incendiary debates on occasion, I thought I'd wish you lot a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

The Peace of Christ extends to everyone. :hug:

by **Salus Maior** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 10:00 pm

Lady Scylla wrote:We've our obvious disagreements -- quite strongly in some cases -- and despite my incendiary debates on occasion, I thought I'd wish you lot a Merry Christmas.

And it's welcomed :hug:

And to you as well.

by **The Portland Territory** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:51 pm

I would like to wish all my fellow Christian brothers and sisters a very merry, holy, and happy Christmas. May God be with you all and life bring you wishes of joy and luck

by **The Portland Territory** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:53 pm

Lady Scylla wrote:We've our obvious disagreements -- quite strongly in some cases -- and despite my incendiary debates on occasion, I thought I'd wish you lot a Merry Christmas.

You too Scylla! Have a cookie!

Or two, or three, however many you want!

by **Louisiana Free State** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:54 pm

Bonne Christmeusse!

by **Luminesa** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:56 pm

Lady Scylla wrote:We've our obvious disagreements -- quite strongly in some cases -- and despite my incendiary debates on occasion, I thought I'd wish you lot a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas! :hug:

by **The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:04 am

Pray for these guys.

by **Constantinopolis** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 4:51 am

So, as you know I have a tradition of making a special post here to mark each of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. Often, I write these posts with the expectation that I'm introducing the Feast in question to an audience that wasn't aware of it, or that is only vaguely familiar with it.

But then there is Christmas. Everyone already knows about it, but of course it is also one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, so here is my customary post to mark the occasion!

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
(also called Christmas)

This is the Feast of the Incarnation. This is the Feast that celebrates God becoming man. Divinity and humanity, united in one person. The beginning of our salvation, which would later be accomplished with the Resurrection.

It is also an act of unfathomable love and self-sacrifice. God the Word, immortal and transcendent, empties Himself and takes on "the form of a servant", being born as a mortal man, with a physical body, under the power of death. The all-powerful comes into the world as a helpless baby. God becomes one of us. He comes to share our life, to share our pain and our suffering, and in the end, to die. And not just any death, but the death of a slave, the death of a condemned rebel, typically used to make an example of the enemies of Rome. The same death suffered by the followers of Spartacus along the Via Appia. The parallel would have been widely understood by the inhabitants of the first century Mediterranean world. And it adds another layer of meaning to His birth.

Today, we celebrate the greatest act of solidarity in history. God came into the world to stand with us, and most of all with the poor and the oppressed.

Here are some Orthodox hymns for the occasion on YouTube:

Glory to God in the Highest (in English)
Kontakion for the Nativity (in English)
Troparion for the Nativity (in English)
Troparion for the Nativity (in many languages)
Ode 1 of the Canon for the Nativity of Christ (in English)
Ode 1 of the Canon for the Nativity of Christ (in many languages)
Ode 3 of the Canon for the Nativity of Christ (in English)
Ode 9 of the Canon for the Nativity of Christ (in English)
Chant from the Matins for the Nativity (in Arabic)
A collection of Christmas hymns in Arabic
A collection of Christmas hymns in English

Troparion:

Your Nativity, O Christ our God,
Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
Were taught by a Star to adore You,
The Sun of Righteousness,
And to know You, the Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You!

Kontakion:

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
Angels with shepherds glorify Him!
The wise men journey with a star!
Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

by **Nordengrund** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 6:50 am

Luminesa wrote:
Hashemite Arabiyah wrote:
(Image)
Happy birthday Jesus!

Shall we bake the Holy Baby a cake?

It's a tradition in my family. We usually bake red velvet because the red symbolizes the blood he shed and white represents cleanliness and purity. We didn't do red velvet this year, though.

by **Diopolis** » Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:36 am

Merry Christmas to all!

Christian Discussion Thread VIII: Augustine's Revenge.

What is your denomination?

Who is online