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The angels announced their tidings to shepherds. I will remember that where man sees a shepherd, God may see a king. I don’t have to be “great” in the eyes of the world to serve the Kingdom. There are times when God comes to us in the whispers of life and times that He comes with trumpets blaring and all of the hosts of Heaven. In both, He tends to come into our world quietly… to those ready to perceive Him. In the quiet moments, we are most attentive to His message—we have to lean in to hear Him.When He...

Whenever discussions are started about the December 25 date used to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus, this subject typically comes up. Some will say, "It is too cold in December for the shepherds to be tending their flocks!" Some make this claim their continuing effort to discredit and mock anything associated with Christ and Christmas. Some actually believe that it must be true because December is winter and they have not looked into the subject.

Bishop Rebukes Bishopa Pro-abort politicians are unworthyGALLUP, N.M. (ChurchMilitant.com) - A New Mexico prelate is protecting brother bishops who believe pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Holy Communion.In an article for First Things on Tuesday, Bp. James Wall of the diocese of Gallup rebuked San Diego bishop Robert McElroy — ripping his essay that argued pro-life bishops are politically motivated and weaponizing the Eucharist.Bishop Wall wrote:But while I don't presume to know what's in the mind and heart of my brother bishops, I am not motivated by political ends, nor are those with whom I have discussed the subject. Our...

The two German Shepherds belonging to President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were returned to the Biden family home in Delaware last week after aggressive behavior at the White House involving Major Biden, two sources with knowledge tell CNN. Major, who was adopted by Biden in November 2018 from a Delaware animal shelter, had what one of the people described as a "biting incident" with a member of White House security. The exact condition of the victim is unknown, however, the episode was serious enough that the dogs were subsequently moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where they remain. CNN...

The Gospel of Jesus can be summed up in three statements He made during His ministry. One statement was directed toward the Pharisees who questioned why He hung out with sinners and tax collectors. "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."(Mark 2:17) Another statement was directed towards those who complained when He went into the house of Zaccheus, a chief tax collector in Jericho. And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is...

FAIRFIELD, Idaho — Great Pyrenees dogs that are working to protect flocks of sheep in the southern Idaho wilderness keep getting “rescued” by people who think the dogs are lost. Flat Top sheep rancher Cory Peavey is frustrated because he is spending a lot of time picking up his expensive dogs that he uses to protect his herd from shelters or people’s homes. There are many sheep ranchers in Idaho, and many use Great Pyrenees dogs, something that might look out of the ordinary in the woods to someone camping. Peavy understands that it might be strange to see a...

Correcting a common misunderstanding of the Christmas season We all have our pet peeves, right? We all have those little things that seem to bother us more than they should. Well, I hope you'll forgive me if this seems petty, but one of my pet peeves involves the "Wise Men" (or "3 Kings" or "Magi") who are almost always included in nativity scenes and plays that show up each Christmas as depictions of Jesus' birth. Why do Wise Men bother me? It's not a personal thing. I have nothing against the Magi as individuals, I'm sure. It's just that they...

Msgr. Charles Pope 12/22/2015 Nativity animals Question: I was told that the animals in the Christmas Nativity scene have a symbolic meaning. Is this so, and if so what?— Jennifer Ladd, Buffalo, New York Answer: Yes, the traditional animals of the Nativity scene are chosen for a reason. The ox and the donkey are a reference to Isaiah 1:3 which says, “An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood.”So, it’s actually rather an unflattering self-accusation we make of our own human family that, in effect, declares the...

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped...

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (Ezekiel 34:1-2)Ezekiel the Prophet saw the final restoration of Israel (The climax of human history), and in his visions of chapter 34-39, He described events which would eventuate this reality in spite of much world opposition. The vision of Ezekiel 34 seeks to offer a prophetic answer to the question,...

Laurence asks out loud, perhaps for the first time, though I bet not the last: Given that you all are clearly being used to further an anti-Christian agenda, perhaps it’s time to “consider shaking the dust off their feet and leaving the Synod Hall.” They’re not going to let you vote? Vote with your feet. Send a message that this bad pope and his cronies aren’t the whole Church, and that you will not be manipulated to oppose the Faith of Christ. Faithful Bishops, shepherds of Christ’s flock: LEAVE THE SYNOD! GET OUT OF THE WATER! GET OUT NOW! There’s...

An ancient god has resurfaced in Israel thanks to what archaeologists say is a one-of-a-kind discovery. University of Haifa researchers were digging at what's believed to be an ancient basalt armory outside Sussita—which the Jerusalem Post reports was once the Roman city of Antiochia Hippos—when a ball from a ballista, an ancient missile weapon, appeared two weeks ago. As it was made of limestone rather than basalt, archaeologists suspected it was an enemy missile and turned to a metal detector to search for a coin that might date the projectile. It found something far bigger: a 2,000-year-old bronze mask larger...

Long story short: shirtless Moroccan throws bricks at a foreign man walking two German Shepherds. The second man walks away, but the first keeps throwing bricks. Ultimately, the dogs are released.

HISTORY OF THE WISE MEN You’re familiar with the song that begins “We Three Kings of Orient Are…” but it is inaccurate in at least three ways. We don’t know how many there were, but we know they weren’t kings. They did not originate in the Orient, meaning the Far East.So how could they have seen the star “in the East” and arrived in Jerusalem unless they they had begun their journey somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea? It says in the Gospel of Matthew 2:2 “We saw his star in the east, and have come to worship...

Jewish shepherds rescued a group of stolen sheep who were taken by armed men from the PA Authority regions. Levi Zohar told Arutz Sheva news that infiltrators had cut through the fences to the the Sde Bar youth farm in the Gush Etzion region of Judea. The sheep were discovered in a cave about 15 kilometers away guarded by two armed men. The farmers chased them away with rocks and retrieved the sheep. .....

Two Jewish shepherds from Itamar were injured on the adjacent Arnon Hill (777) on Thursday by a gang of local Arabs wielding clubs and rocks. IDF forces were called to the scene and succeeded in dispersing the Arabs, who were still throwing stones at the shepherds. The scalp of one shepherd was torn open, while the other sustained injuries to his hands and lower body. Both received medical treatment at the scene. Samaria Council head Gershon Mesika said that the incident was a serious one. “It could have ended in a 'lynch' murder by Arabs of the two Jewish farmers....

A bloody, stinking sheep's carcass greets shepherd Yves Vignon as he walks to check on his flock on the foggy Alpine heights. It's the 17th of his ewes to be savaged in a month. The mountains over Grenoble were once an ideal grazing ground for his 900 sheep. But now, after long banishment, the wolves are back -- bolder and hungrier than ever. "We came to this spot on June 24. A week later we were attacked" by wolves, Vignon, 62, told AFP. It was the first of at least four attacks over the past month. "Every morning when I...

Migal Eder-"Tower of the flocks"Alfred Edersheim, author of the excellent "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah", wrote the following: "And yet Jewish tradition may here prove both illustrative and helpful. That the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, was a settled conviction. "Equally so, was the belief , that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder, 'the tower of the flock.' This Migdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren sheepground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem." "A passage in the Mishnah leads to...

Border Collies are considered by many to be one of the most intelligent and trainable dog breeds. Though they are wonderful companions, they require a lot of exercise and training.

At the time of Jesus birth, people who attended sheep were considered the least significance to the human race by other people. They lived quiet and humble lives, often spending their days, and nights, with their flocks. The sheep that they tended were probably bred as sacrifice animals for the temple in near-by Jerusalem. These shepherds were probably just doing their usual job when the angel appeared to them—and with a multitude behind him. I think I would be shaking in my sandals too.