ICEMANforChrist

  Thursday in the Octave of Christmas   Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 7-10 7  You that  FEAR  the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall.  8  You that  fear  the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost.  9  You that  fear  the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy.  10  Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his  fear  and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored?   Serving the Lord is not without its trials; but no matter what happens, the genuine believer will remain sincere, steadfast, and faithful. Misfortune and humiliation are means of purification to prove one’s worth. Ben Sira believed that patience and unwavering trust in God are ultimately rewarded with the benefits of God’s mercy and of lasting joy. Sixth Day of Christmas-Six Geese a-Laying ...

  Introduction To Sirach [1]   Sirach was written by a Jewish scribe who lived in Jerusalem in the early third century BC.  His name was Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach.  He is often called simply "Ben Sira."  The book has taken several different titles including "The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira" and "Liber Ecclesiasticus" (Church book).  Ben Sira wrote in Hebrew, but his grandson later translated the book into Greek.  Most Bibles include the grandson's preface even though it is not canonical.  The Hebrew of Sirach was lost about a thousand years ago, but in the late 19th century and early 20th century Hebrew fragments of Sirach were found which comprise about two-thirds of the book.  Sirach is a deuterocanonical book of wisdom literature.   Sirach is very similar to Proverbs in that the majority of the material is presented in short sayings.  The sayings are generally grouped by...

 

  Tuesday in the Octave of Christmas FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS-CARD PLAYING DAY   Wisdom, Chapter 18, Verse 25 To these the destroyer yielded, these he FEARED ; for this sole trial of anger sufficed.   The destroyer angel fears nothing, but the name of God inscribed on the doorposts of the Jews written in the blood of the lamb. At this does he stop his destruction, at this name the angel turns aside; at the name of He that is the angel of death yields.   The Destroying Angel [1]   The particular term "destroying angel" ( malakh ha-mashhit ) occurs twice in the Bible, in II Samuel 24:16 and its parallel, I Chronicles 21:15. Other allusions to this "destroyer" ( mashhit ), can be found in Exodus 12:23 and Isaiah 54:16. In the cultures of the ancient Near East, gods were believed to be responsible for death and destruction. The Bible, however, does not portray such a configuration. Instead, the destructive agents act according to God's instructi...