MetaCatholic

Christmas gets ever closer, and to celebrate the fact that I’ve got my cards in the post and my presents wrapped (there’s never any time in the last week) I thought I might offer a short pot-pourri of quotations (scripture not included). This Christmas top twenty consists of four items in each of five categories.

Secular Thoughts

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” — Washington Irving

Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.” — Dr. Seuss

But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round…as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely. — Charles Dickens

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.— Charles Schulz

Sacred Thoughts

The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that he might illuminate the world by his wisdom and excite it to the love of himself. — Peter Abelard

I see Christ as the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality. — Sidney Carter

He who fills the world lays in a manger, great in the form of God but tiny in the form of a servant; this was in such a way that neither was his greatness diminished by his tiny-ness, nor was his tiny-ness overcome by his greatness. — St Augustine

O new commingling; O strange conjunction! the Self-existent comes into Being, the Uncreated is created, … he who gives riches becomes poor; for He assumes the poverty of my flesh, that I may assume the riches of His Godhead. — St Gregory Naziansus

Wry thoughts

Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ. — Bart Simpson

People can’t concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December. — Ogden Nash

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. — Shirley Temple

The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin. — Jay Leno

Favourite Carol and Hymn Quotes

Ne had the apple taken been, the apple taken been,
Ne had never our ladie, abeen heav’ne queen.
Blessed be the time that apple taken was,
Therefore we moun singen: Deo gracias! — Adam lay y-bounden (Anon)

Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!” — Charles Wesley

The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky — St Germanus

Deum de Deo,
Lumen de Lumine,
gestant puellae viscera,
Deum verum,
Genitum non factum
Venite adoremus … Dominum — prob. John Francis Wade
(The Maiden’s womb carries God from God, Light from Light,
True God, begotten not made:
O come let us adore … the Lord)
NB the original lacks the unfortunate connotation of the trad. English “Lo, he abhors not”

Bad puns

There once was a czar in Russia whose name was Rudolph Because of his very distinguished head of ginger hair, and a magnificent beard, he was affectionately nicknamed “the Red”. He was standing in his palace one day with the czarina surveying the gardens. He said to his wife,”Look outside. It’s raining.” She, being the obstinate type, responded,”I don’t think so. I think it’s snowing.” But Czar Rudolph knew better. He summoned the servants to bring their coats, and hold a canopy over their heads, so that they might go into the garden and see. Suitably dressed, they went outside and even the czarina had to admit that this was, in fact, rain. Rudolph triumphantly turned to her and said: ” You see I was right: Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!”

When I was a kid, I used to pray every night for a new bike for Christmas. Then I realised, the Lord doesn’t work that way. So I just stole one and asked Him to forgive me — Emo Philips

How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas?
Deep pan, crisp and even!

What do you call Santa’s little helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.