HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1972-12-21, Page 14Contributed by: Rev. Derwyn Docken
Walton united Church
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What ificomes down to is this: If Christmas (S
real, if God became man, then life does have a pur-
pose- it does make sense- even though it May not
be possible to learn exactly where or why. God is
'mystery. If christreas is a fable, then 'the whole
thing is a bad joke on us all. It leads to complete
pessimism and despair.
Bertrand Russell (well-known atheist) is an
example: He speaks of "that terible loneliness in
which one shivering consciousness looks over the
rim of the wOrld into the cold unfathomable lifeless
abyss". For this loneliness he was desperately
eager to .maintain close human relationships.:
"What else is there to make life tolerable on the
shore of an ocean crying to the emptiness? the
world seems to me quite dreadful; the unhappiness
of most people is very great, and I often wortder
how they will endure it. If they did not live most of
the time in the things of the moments they would
not be able to go on." This man became over 90
years old how did he survive any Christmas? It
- must have always been a very bad day for him.
Pope Leo the' Great called it LIFE'S BIRTHDAY.
.• He may have used these words i,n 452 after stop-
ping Attila, the Hun, making him retreat from Nor-
thern Italy.
We quote from Leo's Christmas sermon: Let us
rejoice: It would be unlawful to be sad sad to-day,
for to-day is. Life's Birth-Day, birthday of that Life,
which for us mortal creatures take8 away the sting
of death and brings the bright promise of an eter-
nal hereafter. No one is excluded from shares in
this joy, All men have the tame reason) for
rejoicing: that Our Lord has come to set us all free.
Rejoice, if you are a saint: you are drawing nearer
the palm of victory, Rejoice, if you are a sinner:
your Saviour offers you pardon'. And, If you are an
agnostic, rejoice; God calls you to life'
The people of Maidstone (Eng.) must be proud of
the Sinclairs. Carole will not be aware how many
unborn babies are killed In Englasn. She is not
aware of a' new clanger, that may threaten little
Peter. If the unborn are killed, who will be next? It
will be the incurably-MI. And who after that? It will
be•the elderly. The enemy of life will come up with 'k
some story .... euthanasia is so full of mercy, a
death without pain at a time yoU choose. Sadness,
flee away. ,g
"Man will live for evermore because of Christmas
Day."
7.1
St. Mark 1:1 "Here is my. Messenger, says God: I
will send him ahead of you to open the way for
you." :TEV)
Christmas comes one week too early!
There are two ways to take this statement, Most
of us are probably wishing right now that there was
another week left to get ready for Christmas instead
of the three days that do remain.'..But true as this
may he, there is something, else that I have in mind.
I think that Christmas might be much more
meaningful if it came at the beginning of the year.
Why? Because Christmas is the beginning of
something. At Christmas we are supposed to be
celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ; Jesus the
King of nations, Jesus the Saviour of mankind. Bir-
thdays mark a new year in 'the life of a person.
Christmas then, should mark the start of new begin-
ning in the spiritual life of an individual. Christmas
for me has always been a time to make an .
evaluation and a re-dedication of my life. The birth
of Jesus, the coming of Christ the Messiah into the
world, provides a time to pause and ask what does
this event mean to me. The answer I usually get is:
"Derwyn, your life last year left a lot to he desired.
Perhaps if you begin this coming year to walk closer
to Christ things could be better. You are celebrating
the nativity of Jesus: why not make this the com-
mencement of a new life for yourself?"
For this reason, Christmas might he more ap-
propriate at the inception of the year. (It certainly
would make the celebration of New Year's dif-
ferent!)
But you know, an,. one think~ about this more,
maybe Christmas is exactly at the right time of year
afterall. Jesus life may have been the dawning of a
new existance for man, but it was also the end of an
age. So tremendous was the change he made, that
his birth divides history in to A.D. and B.C.! In
Jesus something unique happened. God visited His
people in. human form. "In The vast,,Grod ,',,Lip6ke 1.
our ancestor Thany times and in-lir:1111)y ),V#S .4hrough
.the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken'to'
us ',through his son.."(Hehrews 1:1 I TEV
Thus, what a marvelously symbolic place Christ-
mas stands in the calender—at the end of the
"yearesus. the universal symbol that the old
adam •has passed away and the new man has come.
This is the meaning of Christmas.
May the peace and love of God that comes Mown
:.at Christmas, he with you these days, and as the
wise men followed the star may you he guided by
God in the year that lies ahead.
•
MERRY
ltri4rna
With gratitude,
comes a wish that
this is the
best holiday you've
ever, ever known.
RYAN
BULLDOZING,
'11.14. 1, Walton
Gin the pirit
of Christmas
cHappiuess. joy. Peace.
That's the spirit of Christmas.
It warms the heart. It
brings young and old together.
And it brings to mind just
how,m,uc hr me,valme yagr,siipporA r4,
-t; r-t.-;,4 R71 :),C17 r„' , •
114, "WrIV/964*1"4444 0M0041%
FRANK' KLING LTD.
Phone 527.1320
Seaforth
OLID41ME GOOD WISHES
„dgovamwm004
grGod rest. ye merry, gentlemen' and
ladies...our wish for you, from
Commission and Staff of the
SEAFORTH PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
We also express our appreciation for
the co-operation and understanding exten-
ded by the public during the periods of
inconvenience which on occasions accom-
panied.our construction programs during
the past year.
L
Industrial Hockey
League
By Gary Gray
In Industrial hockey league
play on Sunday night, the
Kings and Stars both came up
with important victories, The
Stars thuniped • the winless
Blues .9.3, while the Kings
came up with a hard earned 6.5
victory over the Flyers.
The loss for the Flyers drop-
ped them into, second place
behind the Stars' and Kings.
The league leaders each haye
a record of 4 wins and 2 losses
for 8 points, while the Flyers
have won 3, lost 2 and tied 1
for 7 points. The Blues have
managed but 1 tie in six games.
The Stars held a 6-0 lead
over the Blues after one period
hf play, while both teams
*scored three apiece in the final.
"Bomber" Southgate and
Jim Henderson led the on:
slaught for the Stars by firing
two goals apiece. Single
markers were scored by' Don
Nutley, Tom Devereaux, Ron
Beuerman, Don Morten and
Brian Leonhardt.
Veteran Jimmy Watson with
9 pair and brother Dave with
One counted for the Blues who
ere short :3 kkklayers.
Nine' minor phalties were
called by rehirees Broome and
Scrimgeour with the Sta,rs
picking up five of them.
In' the late game, the Kings
took a :3-2 lead going into the
final period and then held on
for their 6-5 victory over the
Flyers. Dave Broome and Ray
Devereaux each collected a pair
for the , Kings, , while singles
went to Bob Watson and Dale
Kennedy. Jim Carter and Bill
Price each scored twice for the
Flyers, with Jack Baker scoring
the other.
Ten penalties were called' in
Lane was scored from Phillips.
Clinton came back with gdals
from Kiepel, Miller and Thom-
pson. Brian Lane then scored
from B. Lane. Later, Dave
McClure scored assisted by G.
Phillips. Dwayne 'Cornish
finished out the scoring with
assists going to Bill O'Shea and
Kevin Bennett. Final score 10-
5.
Next games: on Wednesday,
December 27, Seaforth -will
play their only game of the
holiday season when they play
•
U
Lane scoring from Dave
McClure. Seaforth weq ahead -
before the first period ikas over
with Barry Lane scoring from
Brian Lane and Gord Car-
.nochan.
Clinton scored the lone goal
of the middle period with Mac
Donald from Miller to tie the
game 2-2.
Seaforth took control of the
game early, in the third period
,with Barry Lane scoring from
Biian Lane and McClure.
Minutes later, Brian Lane
scored from Kevin Bennett.
Thompson scored for Clinton
assisted by West. Barry Lane
Clinton opened the scoring in scored unassisted. Gary
the, first period with Heipid Phillips then scored from Dave
scoring unassisted. Seaforth got McClure and Barry Lane. The
hack minutes later with Barry fifth goal of the night for Barry
Kelm 'Murray)
On Weeln 'day, December 13,
the Seaforth Midgets defeated
the Clinton Midgets by the
score of 10-5. They also wop
over the Hensall Midgets by
default on December 15 when
only 6 members of the Hensall
team showed up for the game.
The Midgets' record now is 3
exhibition wins, 6 season wins,
1 tie and no losses.
The Clinton-Seaforth game
was a high scorAng, lightly
penalized garme'when there
were only 3 penalties handed
out arid Seaforth received 2 of
them.
at home against the Zurich
Midgets at 8:30.'GOod fan sup-
port will be appreciated.
Thank you.
USE
EXPOSITOR
WANT - ADS
Phone 527-0240
the closely-played contest with
the Kings receiving six of them.
•Games for Sunday, January
7, 1973—Kings vs. Blues, 7:30.
Stars vs Flyers, 9:00.
Happy Holida5ys4to
you" — that's in
tune with our wishes.
.4„„THE nuRoN exposrM 91,11%, Dec. ,21, 1972
The Chritmas Messages Midgets win, remain und deified
•
Contributed by: Rgv. P.A. Oostveen
St. Columban Roman Catholic Church
Some time ago a news-wire from Maidstone,
Eng. mentioned a very happy story: Carole Sinclair,
' 11, knew that her three year old step-brother Peter
had only a few years to live. He had been born with
spinal atrophy, a diease which attacks the nerve
cells. Carole also knew, that her parents could not
afford to take him to Lourdes, France in search of-a
cure: It occurred to her that, with one mouth fewer
to feed, they Might be able to raise the funds. One
evening, she .kissed therri all good night and went ,
to bed, but at midnight, when all the family was
asleep, she quietly dressed, wrote a farewell-note
and ran off. She was going to her grandmother at
Folkstone some 30 miles away: The note read:.
"DEAR MUMMY AND DADDY, I am running 'away
Worn home because, if you do not have to feed me,
you can take'Peter to Lourdes to make him better."
She left it on the doormat. A policeman spotted the
girl shortly after, just opposite a cemetery.. He
brought her home and Carole had by now - last
almost all her courage. -Mrs. Sinclair said after :
"what she did filled us with• so much love it's im-
possible to describe. We are a very close family
and we all worship little Peter. He has never
walked and the doctors say he never will. Carole °
thought she was going to help him by, what 'she
did." Carole's selfless act has not gone unotiece.
People have dffered to help and the Irish Airlines
promised an expenteLpaid four day trip to Lourdes.
This story has the spark. and tenderness of the
Christmas-Season. That Season is here once more:
source for our reflection will be the few lines of the
gospel of Matthew (Mt. 1&2), where the story is
given of Jesus' childhood. It is not a summary of
details that would satisfy historian but how inspired
the infancy-narratives are, telling how Christ ap-
peared into this world. The coming of the Saviouy
is seen 'as one great event of salvation and
christians have,eyter since celebrated Christmas
asn Epiphany jusf guided. th'esdldler linegfir_
Matthew and Lu'ke, Two, 07464 '6e 888614 stand .
out: „
Jesus comes frPm the human race, and He
comes from God. He is the God-man.
'1 ( Jesus is rooted in humanity. The family-tree
(genealogy) is given and Matthew traces Jesus
down in three stages to Abraham, father of the
Jewish race. Luke goes further back into history
and states, thM Jesus is "son of Adam". :LK.'3,38)
Not only then does the Saviour belong to the -
Jewish nation but he belongs to the whole of the
human race. Four women are in the story of Mat-
thew: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah.
These are foreigners' and three of them, are pic-
tured in a situatiiYfftif sin. This we may interpret
(togethei With many -sinful men) as unmistakable
„signs, that Jesus comes from sinful humanity.
2) Christ is God. He is the gift of God to mankind.
Jesus' birth does not depend on what man can do
by himself. his Pirth, is not due to the will of man.
The human race has in final analysis no one to
thank but the Holy Spirit for the coming of this
promised-One, His origin is from God: from .the
most High. Many predictions were already given in
the Old Testament that God-would-be-with us and
this divine condescension now appears as man on
earth. God is no longer far away. "The Word
became flesh". There is only one reason= for the
mystery of the Incarnation: "Gdid so loved the
world, that He gave his only Son (J'ohn 3,16)". It is
a mystery inscribed in the bery mystery of God. Af-
ter this revelation, to us God belongs now even
more totally to our becoming and our tragedy, and
we belong to the fullness of his glory, wholly by.
vocation, but not in possession yet, because we
are still on the way. God's revelations always in
human terms, as it is addressed to us;`i‘ut God is
infinitely 'more than that and more than anything
that can be revealed about Him.
DO WE NEED 'CHRISTMAS
DO WE NEED GOD
We most certainly do. See, what we believe
about God has a very profound effect on the prac-
tical choices and decisions we,have to make every
day. If God is, an illusion or a delusion or
.hallvination, why should I think of the welfare of
others, my community or country? It would be more
natural to think of my own self. Some atheists and
agnostics are living highly moral lives; many make
great sacrifices in the service of mankind. We may
admire them. But 'as close observers we can say:
they are living on inherited capital. They as by in-
stinct still cherish'Achristia,m, values, which they
derived from the mast, bekaiise they have found
these values to be good and honest. However,
when you deny or ignore God and still try to' hang
on to Christian values and you repudiate chrlstian
dogma into a kind Of atheistic existantialism, then
you are on the way out .... you will not feel bound
by any higher law.
There is a great decay Of moral value's in our
present ,ttmes, still sometimes called "new
morality". One example is the rampant
phenomenon of abortion. Since 1967 and par-
ticularly, since the Criminal Code was "liberalized"
re the abation-clauses, many Canadians seem to
be ready to listen to all kind of plain nonsense,
where they had always known (dnd still do) Thou
shalt not kill. Would man be only "nothing",more
than 'a complex biochemical mechanism"? In one
year in Canada six times more lives are terminated.
by abortion than all Canadian war-dead of world-
war II (all the five years of it). These are the hard
`statistics,