Bonus: The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte, age 10, perform a piano duet that was filmed for the annual service of carols at Westminster Abbey, which took place on December 5th and was broadcast in the UK on Christmas Eve. The composure of the young princess is most impressive.
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| Madonna and Child by Il Sassoferrato, circa 1650 |
This is the Christian faith.
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I think of it not so much as a Christmas movie as an inspirational one. Your Head Trucker saw this film in the student union theater during my first term at a big university, nearly half a century ago. Mine was not the typical college experience: I was broke, friendless, and terribly homesick for a place I could never return to. But the quiet inspiration of Frank Capra's magnum opus gave me comfort and lit the way ahead; it was the grace of God that I needed in that lonely time. I am still grateful for that.
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on tight. When you come to the dark tunnel of despair, go through it -- and at the other end, you will find Hope.
Keep on; do what you can. Your life matters more than you know.
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The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
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English version from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979):
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,My spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
For he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham and his children for ever.
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
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You can save time by pausing the video and right-arrowing through the pics.
N. B. -- Strange to say, the two guys by the water keg in the thumbnail photo look just like my junior-high phys ed teachers. But they were not friendly, and did no education. They just handed out balls at the beginning of the period and told us to go play, while they sat in their air-conditioned office. In my day, P.E. teaching was just a stepping stone on the way to becoming principals. They took no notice of whether anyone did well or not.
Your Head Trucker was one of the guys who was always last to be chosen for teams, and was routinely mocked and scorned by the other guys. I hated it.
I'm sure many of my truckbuddies can relate.
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Bonus: The group appeared on the Today program in November 2023, plugging their new book:
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The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
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In a hurry? Just pause the video and right-arrow through the pics.
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