First Advent Candle of 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few thoughts I've found what Advent may mean

"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope." (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger)

"Each year, God asks us to shed one more coat of awareness, one more dream state and come alive to the vision of God’s plan for each of us and the world-at-large. The older we get, the harder this is to do. As children we had a sense of wonder. Our eyes were wide open and drinking in the fascinating gifts we beheld…Our thirsty souls could not have enough of the wonders of creation.Then, somehow, we grew too old to dream. We tired of the abundance of the world, or at least grew weary of keeping up with the feast of life, and stepped away from the banquet of life.
The natural gift of wonder God gave us as children was meant to be kept alive.…Instead we let wonder go to sleep. We entered the typical dream state of most humans. Why else does Jesus tell us today, ‘Stay awake!’…Advent says, ‘Wake up and realize the gifts of love you have received.' " (Rev. Alfred McBride, O. Praem)

"Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience." (CONNECTIONS, 11-28-93)

"May this Advent season be a time for bringing hope, transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives." (CONNECTIONS, 11-28-93)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day

When we were farmers

We hauled in the harvest

And founded Thanksgiving Day.

With food in the shed

For the winter ahead

We would gather together to say--

Thanks for our health

Thanks for our hearth

And the bounty that grows from the ground.

With our loved ones near

We bless the year

That’s brought us safely ‘round.

Now we are shoppers.

We drive to the market.

The farm seems a lightyear away.

Still, every November

We pause to remember

That time-honored, old-fashioned day.
Thanks for our health

Thanks for our hearth

And the bounty that grows from the ground.

With our loved ones near

We bless the year

That’s brought us safely ‘round.

Everything changes,

Yes, even Thanksgiving.

Let’s rededicate this old day

To helping the hungry,

The poor and the homeless

So all may be able to say—

Thanks for our health

Thanks for our hearth

And the bounty that grows from the ground.

With our loved ones near

We bless the year

That’s brought us safely ‘round.

(John Forster and Tom Chapin: Thanksgiving Day)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instead the refrain: 'With our loved ones near, We bless the year, That's brought us safely 'round

I would rather say: With our loved ones far, God bless us all, To have a safe new year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Moments from the Cemetery

A few weeks ago on a cool but sunny, colourful October day I spent half a day in Budapest's most famous cemetery and took a few (approximately 150...) photos, mainly focusing on old but fine statues. Here are my favourite ones.

Note: During the photo-taking acts the Sun was shining very intensely. This might be visible in the pictures as well...

I think I will repeat my walk there one 'sunless' day. :)

My sweet little nieces

Here are some pictures freshly taken of my two little baby-nieces, Natalia and Ariana.

This is how Natalia looks like presently with her two little teeth in the front.

She is almost one year old.

And this is Ariana at the age of 4 months, already teething.

How much have they grown in the past few months and how nice smiles do they 'produce'!

Aren't they extremely cute? :)

P.S. Sorry Caleb for leaving you out this time, but today it's the 'girls' day'. :) I'll compensate, I promise. Surely, one day in the future. :)