During this Christmas season, focus on God and his character, focus
on Christ and his works, and focus on these great truths that Mary
has given us; and we will know God better and be blessed as Mary
was blessed!!!

From page 337, Always Growing in the Faith, by Gene Dirr.
Available at www.amazon.com.

To underscore the validity of Christianity, more music, more paintings,
and more sculptures have been produce about "it" than the other major
religions in the world combined! With respect to "The Magnificat",
two major musical works come to mind --- Johann Sebastian Bach,
The Magnificat, (1723), and John Rutter, Magnificat, (1990). During
the Advent Season, many times these works are performed in the Sunday
morning Worship Service replacing the sermon on that Sunday.

From page 334, Always Growing in the Faith, by Gene Dirr.
Available at www.amazon.com.

Mary is the subject of much veneration in the Roman Catholic Church
and the Eastern Orthodox Church; but within Protestant Traditions,
(while she is "highly regarded"); Protestants stick closely to the
facts recorded in the New Testament about her. Protestants accept
"the virgin birth of Jesus" as Mary conceived Jesus through the
power of the Holy Spirit. But afterwards, Mary and Joseph had
several more children with Jesus having many younger brothers and
sisters including his half-brother, James, the leader of the church
at Jerusalem.

From page 334, Always Growing in the Faith, by Gene Dirr.
Available at www.amazon.com.

In my view, "the coming of the Lord" could have occurred in
at least three ways:

1. God could have re-constituted some dry bones similar to the
story in Ezekiel 37:1-14, see "Ezekiel and the Dry Bones".
2. Christ could have come from another planet like Superman
with super-human powers, x-ray vision, and the ability to fly.
3. Or, Christ could be born as a baby like every person in this room.

You know the story. God chose the last of these three, and God
selected Mary to be the Mother of Jesus.

From pages 333-334, Always Growing in the Faith, by Gene Dirr.
Available at www.amazon.com.

The central person in the Bible is Jesus Christ. All others including
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, have a supporting role. The church celebrates
the Advent Season during the four Sundays before Christmas to mark the
coming of Christ at the Incarnation.

From page 333, Always Growing in the Faith, by Gene Dirr.
Available at www.amazon.com.