If you can read, you've been warned.
Posted on 11/22/2013 11:01:00 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Rome, Italy: Fr. Guiseppe Gnocchi, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, today lamented a growing trend around the world – the premature celebration of Advent. “A not insignificant amount of Catholics are ignoring the Liturgical Calendar, and are instead celebrating Advent way in advance.” Margie Hopkins of Pittsburgh noted, “This year, I had my Advent wreath up a week before Halloween.”
Many Catholics are shirking the Church’s calendar because they are seeking more silence and introspection. Jay Johnson from Cheyenne shared that “4 weeks isn’t even close to the amount of time that I need to spiritually prepare for the birth of the King of Kings.” Johnson says he celebrates a 12 week Advent.
Companies are planning to capitalize on the trend. Walgreens has announced plans to sell electronic Advent wreaths starting July 5th. Lowe’s will also have an “Advent Wonderland” starting the day after Labor Day.
If you can read, you've been warned.
Dear Jesus, up and down the street they wonder why
I have Christmas lights burning in the month of July!
They say I’m a trashy redneck, fit for a trailer park
When I let those beautiful lights shine from dawn until dark!
But they don’t understand the reason those lights shine above
Is because You have given me Your everlasting love!
My Christmas lights are burning every day of the year
Because You took away all my doubt and my fear!
Every day’s Your birthday party and all day I celebrate
‘Cause You were born in my heart and removed the devil’s hate
From my heart that had been captive, so dark and so blue;
Yes Lord, I shine my Christmas lights — they’re up for You!
Dear Jesus, up and down the street they think it’s odd
When I keep that manger scene lit with the Son of God
Lying there in the straw in a lowly feeding trough;
They tell me that it’s summer time and I should turn it off!
But Jesus, in my heart You’re born each and every day
And you come so kind and humble, as You once were in the hay!
My Christmas lights are burning every day of the year
Because You took away all my doubt and my fear!
Every day’s Your birthday party and all day I celebrate
‘Cause You were born in my heart and removed the devil’s hate
From my heart that had been captive, so dark and so blue;
Yes Lord, I shine my Christmas lights — they’re up for You!
Dear Jesus, up and down the street I tell them the news
That when You’re born in their hearts, no one can accuse
That it is ever wrong to shine their lights and celebrate
How Jesus saved their souls before the time was too late
To accept Your love so wide and deep and high and so true —
Yes, all of them should keep their Christmas lights up for You!
My Christmas lights are burning every day of the year
Because You took away all my doubt and my fear!
Every day’s Your birthday party and all day I celebrate
‘Cause You were born in my heart and removed the devil’s hate
From my heart that had been captive, so dark and so blue;
Yes Lord, I shine my Christmas lights — they’re up for You!
HiTech RedNeck (2013)
These words may be freely shared as a poem under the Creative Commons License
with the requirement of attribution and exact copying (no modifications)
and the replication of this notice.
This is really said. Companies/greed capitalizing on values. Christmas bacem holiday gift giving. Now Thanksgiving bcame Black Friday. And now Advent....
Teach your children good values. Stand up in your families, we can reverse the trend by standing up for our faith and values.
People need more Christmas in this dark age. Not less.
Nicely done!
I’m wishing everybody I see a Gay Kwanzaa.
And the best value? Praising God. Some folks are so browned off that something eeeeeeeeevil might be coming along for the ride, they miss the good!
That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would!
Now that’s MEAN... a Prottie taunting our Catholic friends! That would be like a Jewish person taunting Christians or something like that. About 99% confusion to 1% substantive theology.
Are you saying that Catholics and Protestants aren't both Christians?
Go back to the Julian Calendar, like some of us Eastern Orthodox types and this won’t be a problem.
But you have to fast from all meat and dairy from just after Thanksgiving to January 7.
Actually maybe what should be done is move Thanksgiving to October so stores can start their Christmas adverts earlier.
I just put up my little CHRISTmas tree up at work. It plugs into a USB port on the computer. It’s beautiful.
Thanks for the reminder - I got a mini-strand of USB LED Christmas lights for free last year, when I bought a Best Buy gift card. Time to dig them out & decorate the computer!
That’s just what I need to add some color to my office! Where did you get it?
I got it from Target. They’re hard to find but they have several models.
Ooooooo...I’ll have to look for those. I have another USB slot. :O)
I don’t like this warning them in the title that it’s satire. It’s better for them just to read it and then we can laugh at them when they take it seriously and get mad in the thread.
Wasn't my idea, and isn't my doing. Years ago, a Catholic poster took offense at an Amish satire and claimed that (and I quote) "Every post Alex Murphy makes ends up making FReepers look publicly stupid." Said poster insisted that I provide sufficient warnings on all humor threads, in advance, warning off readers that they're about to read something ficticious and humorous. I've always used the TOPICS line, above post #1, to indicate when a thread is a humor thread, but apparently this has been deemed insufficient. Someone else still worries that your posts are making you look stupid, and that you needed these warning labels to protect you from yourself.
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