How Christmas is celebrated varies from century to century. I personally wish I’d been alive when J.S. Bach brightened the season with his Christmas Oratorio. You may not have time to listen to the whole video, but I suspect you will be blessed if you settle away from the hustle and bustle of our commercialized Santa-driven Christmas for a time when Christ not only was in Christmas, His birth was the whole reason for celebration.
When I was hospitalized for Wegener’s granulomatosis in December 2003- January 2004, I missed the Christmas season. In a still hospital room at University Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where I was shut off from news, music, most contact with others but hospital staff, Bach’s final glorious exaltation of the new-born Christ Child played over and over in my mind, a brassy, diamond-like brilliance of contrapuntal expression of J.S. Bach’s intent to bring glory only to God through his work.
This music gave me hope I was healing, that I was going to live, that there was reason to live!
My hope, wish, and prayer for you is that you have a blessed Christmas. Though I don’t speak much about faith or try to proselytize others, one thing Christianity brought to this world was some of the greatest works of art and music ever created. In some of those works, you can find a pure expression of God’s grace and benevolence.
Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) truly stands among those who, though music, created the best of all these expressions of faith. In his Christmas Oratorio, we also prepare to stand in front of the cross, where Christ died for our sins. It isn’t all Santa and electronic gizmos, afterall. There is a greater meaning to the season. It is a celebration, of course, but it is the beginning of a spiritual road to Easter and the Resurrection. (Sorry to get a little “preachy”!)
Well I can understand why a cat wouldn’t like the meowing. They would be uh I don’t like other cats meowing around here, this is MY place to meow.
Especially since he was on his (“HIS”) desk spot when the video played!
Dougy didn’t like the videos, and Andy was naughty to Dougy when he walked by the chair he (Andy) was on! Ha! I on the other hand, enjoyed both videos. In fact, I enjoyed the Sparta video as well. He was one of the first video cats I found on YouTube, and he inspired me (in part) to adopt my first two (now deceased) cats from the local shelter. Andy’s resumed being nice on his chair, and Dougy slipped out of the room to take a snooze in the bathroom, where both boys like to have some sleepy times! (Andy likes to sleep in thew dryer or on top of the washing machine, and Dougy likes to sleep on the cool floor by the shower.)
Apart from indifference, here are two possible scenarios:
http://youtu.be/E-iVluQkfnQ
Or:
http://youtu.be/OucneKT0VF0
That’s mad, I checked those links!
I’ve been working now for almost 18 hours with two or three hours break so I think I need a rest!
Please delete these posts and I’ll put the right ones….
Apart from indifference, here are two possible scenarios:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-iVluQkfnQ&list=HL1387602495&feature=mh_lolz
Or:
Thank you for that vid, I will enjoy listening to that.
I’m really looking forward to Christmas on my own, with no hassles, just me and God, and peace, perfect peace! Of course I wish I had my cat with me, but other than that…..
Will you give Dougy and Andy a Christmas card? Some cats do actually understand when you give them a card, mine did. Cards for cats are probably like mirrors though, some cats will totally ignore it, and some will react. Worth a try though. Of course one has to write in it as if it were being given to a human and put it in an envelope properly and open it for them while giving them a running commentary.
That may sound completely stupid, but I did that once for my own entertainment and I was completely amazed when my cat reacted as if he knew just what it was. I even got a video of it.
I saw on a Youtube vid someone has a cat that repeatedly when given a card runs off with it like it’s a bag of treats. How cute.
No cards for the boys! If you put paper in front of them, they do one of two things: 1. claim it and lie down on it so the other brother can’t have it, or 2. chew it up and try to find mice under it. This behavior shows up notably in a video I attached awhile back on this blog:
http://youtu.be/3ozuLlAJtYw
A very blessed and joy filled Christmas for you also.
It will be just the cats and me this year, but I kind of like the idea of a Christmas without hubbub and expectations for the first time in my life.
A blessed Christmas to you, too, Weggieboy.
It will be a quiet one, which will be nice.
Great post, WB. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks! Not having children of the Santa age around makes it much easier to reflect on the meaning of the season.(Not that having children around who are of the Santa age is bad!)
Very true! But we often do lose focus of what is really important. Really appreciated this post.