The Practical Parson

 We've all heard it before, echoed every December 31st through the first week of January: "New Year, new me!"   I can think of no worse a motto to proclaim, but so great an indictment against modern sensibilities, than this.  People spend so much time and money constantly investing in this idea of New Year's resolutions, telling themselves they'll change and that "this year will be our year!".   Yet how many of them actually end up committing to any form of actual, lasting, change to themselves or their surroundings?  The reason for this is quite simple- these resolutions are based on passing, changeable, and often momentary fancies; which we consider of utmost importance.  We promise to lose weight, to be kinder, to spend more time with friends and family, to work less, to enjoy life more; but rarely do we spend time in introspection, to see what the cause of our perceived troubles truly is.  True change, when it is needed, is not something superficial

 

 December 28th and 29th are among the important feast days in the Christmas Season, as they are respectively the feast of the Holy Innocents and St. Thomas Becket (of Canterbury).  The feast of Holy Innocents commemorates the children of Bethlehem who were murdered on the order of king Herod; who was trying to kill the Christ Child in the mix.   The feast of Thomas Becket commemorates the great Archbishop of Canterbury who stood up to a corrupt king of England who demanded ever-increasing power and authority over aspects of human existence he had no right to, namely religion.   Ah, how quickly mankind progresses in its eternal march towards its ultimate demise!  Today our clergy and civic leaders demand that mothers be allowed to murder their own children in the womb because of "women's right to choose".  Even more clergy willingly and whole-heartedly cast aside their sacred duties in favor of legalistic mumbo-jumbo about "protections" under the law.  Did we not

  Those who claim to have no enemies, have even fewer morals.         -the Practical Parson To quote an age-old saying: you've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.  The nature of holding morals and standards for one's self will inevitably cause those who seek to use or lord over you to despise you; because it means there is something they cannot control about you.  This is why when wicked and manipulative people enter our lives, the first thing they assault are our morals and foundations of our standards.  Each and every human being on the face of the earth is unique, and uniquely blessed and gifted by our God with talents and abilities that others do not share.  Never sacrifice what makes you YOU in order to please someone who will be gone the moment you are no longer convenient for them. 

  Welcome, Dear Reader; and a Merry Christmas to you! Each year we commemorate the birth of Christ by church services and age-old rituals at church and home; to welcome the Lord of all creation into our hearts and homes.  However, increasingly I find, that our so-called "modern society" seems hell-bent on trying to undermine and destroy the very foundations of this Sacred Holiday; as though it were nothing more than a mere bootleg copy of pagan celebrations.   The argument over what in our Christmas celebrations is a holdover from pre-Christian traditions has been going on ever since the Puritans ruled England; and is unlikely (sadly) to end anytime soon.   The entire argument about Christmas's supposedly "pagan roots" stems entirely from the Puritanical notion that since the Romans were celebrating Christmas, it must therefore be a pagan holiday; since good, reformed Christians would NEVER celebrate a holiday.  Keeping in mind of course, that the Puritan religi