Christmas and New Year Greetings from the Parish of Penzance

"No Greater Love... Jesus came to pay a debt he didn't owe.. because we owed a debt we couldn't pay..."

"He became what we are that he might make us what he is." -- Athanasius of Alexandria

Wishing all visitors to Penzance Catholic Church website
and to the Holy Family Parish

'Nadelek Lowen ha Blethen Noweth da'
'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year',
with peace and many Blessings

(Please turn sound on)

Peace on Earth A Lasting Peace on Earth and Goodwill to everyone

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"I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

xmas wreath Christmas means Christ's festival (Cristesmessa: Old English)

Nativity comes from the Latin word nativus which means produced by birth

animated Xmas tree Emmanuel is God with us, ('Dew-Gennen-Ny' in Cornish language)

snowflake Noel (Old French meaning Christmas Season) was found in a Christmas Carol of 1811

Akidoun a Yesu the birth of Jesus, in Turkana language (Africa)

sleigh & reindeer Swieta is the Polish word for Christmas

Santa Natal is the Brazilean word for Christmas

snowman An Nollaig is the Gaelic for Christmas

Xmas tree Krismati is the Hausa (Nigeria) for Christmas

Omuni Onye Nwe Anyi is the Ibgo (Nigeria) for Christmas

Ukahisimusi is the Zulu (South Africa) for Christmas

xmas tree Krisimose is the Sotho (South Africa) for Christmas

More Christmas Alphabet

LINKS: "Four Christmas Gifts" | Christmas Alphabet | Other languages for Christmas Greetings

External sites with clever Christmas Cards or Seasonal video #1 click on each reindeer
#2 follow the instructions (SWF Flash needed ) | Mary, did you know
all need sound on - Use your browsers Back button to come back here for each link in turn
Mass times & other Christmastide items | Christmas Quotes

Christmas Prayer by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Moonless darkness stands between.
Past, the Past, no more be seen!
But the Bethlehem star may lead me
To the sight of Him who freed me
From the self that I have been.
Make me pure, Lord: Thou art holy;
Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly;
Now beginning, and always,
Now begin, on Christmas day.

THE REAL MEANING OF 'THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS'
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone