神說：所謂幸福,是有一顆感恩的心,一個健康的身體,一份稱心的工作,一位深愛你的愛人,一幫信賴的朋友.你收到我的短信后就會擁有這一切!祝圣誕快樂!
不少孩子以為是圣誕老公公誕生的日子.其實(shí)圣誕節(jié)是來自基督教習(xí)俗,是慶祝榮耀尊貴的上帝為了愛世人,便將他的獨(dú)生子耶穌基督道成肉身來到世間,成為人的樣式,與人一同承擔(dān)苦難、救贖世人.圣誕節(jié)就是慶祝圣子耶穌基督的誕生.而在西方慶祝圣誕節(jié)不是只有圣誕節(jié)夜以及圣誕節(jié)當(dāng)天,早在圣誕節(jié)前的四個星期日,便已經(jīng)開始每周日慶祝耶穌誕生的習(xí)俗,這一段時間稱為“將臨期”.Christmas Day-December 25-which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ,the founder of the Christian religion,is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States.
在將臨節(jié)期,教會的布置全都以藍(lán)紫色為主.圣壇的桌巾、講臺的臺帷、牧師袍的肩帶都是紫色.并且圣壇中央通常會放置一個用長青樹的葉子作的花環(huán),中間有五枝紫色的長燭,每個星期日,便多點(diǎn)上一枝蠟燭.到最后的圣誕夜里的“普世同慶”點(diǎn)上中間的最后一枝蠟燭.燭光象征著在許多年前的圣嬰孩耶穌其第一聲啼哭里,為這世上帶來了光明.
According to the Bible,the holy book of Christians,God decided to allow his only son,Jesus Christ,to be born to a human mother and live on earth so that people could understand God better and learn to love God and each other more."Christmas"- meaning "celebration of Christ "- honors the time when Jesus was born to a young Jewish woman Mary.
而圣誕老人其實(shí)是西元第三世紀(jì)的尼可萊斯主教.他曾冒死解救被處殛刑的政治犯、也揭發(fā)過貪婪官吏屯糧,使百姓渡過饑荒.在宗教被迫害時,被捕入獄,身上滿是鞭痕、鉗傷與烙印,仍堅(jiān)持其信仰.而后半生留在米拉,設(shè)立孤兒院、照顧病患、貧民.尼可萊斯生平事跡中,最膾炙人口的是他慷慨助人的行徑和對孩童的愛心,這些事跡后來被兒童文學(xué)家,予以豐富的想像而成為我們現(xiàn)在所知圣誕老人故事.
Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph,a carpenter,but before they came together,she was found to be with child.Because Joseph,her husband,was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace,he had in mind to divorce her quietly.But after he had considered this,an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,"Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.She will give birth to a son,and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."
圣誕節(jié)最重要的意義是講“饒恕”與“和好”,而非等待圣誕禮物.在這寧靜的夜晚,想一想有沒有人得罪你,你還沒原諒他、饒恕他呢?
Although the exact date of the birth of Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago is not known,the calendar on the supposed date divides all time into B.C.(Before Christ )and A.D.( a Latin phrase,Anno Domini,"in the year of our Lord.")For the first 300 years,Jesus' birthday was celebrated on different dates.Finally,in the year 354,church leaders chose December 25 as his birthday.