Category: Inspiration

A candy maker wanted to invent candy that was a witness to Christ.

First he used a hard candy because Christ is the rock of ages. It was made white to represent the purity of Christ.

The peppermint flavor is similar to hyssop, used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice.

The red stripe was added representing the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world. The three thinner stripes represent the stripes He received on our behalf when the Roman soldiers wiped Him.

This hard candy was formed so that it would resemble the letter “J” for Jesus or turned upside down, a shepherd’s staff.

Jesus is the pure lamb of God, who came as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

EWTN has a good story for the 4th Sunday of Advent, “God is with us.”
Father Thomas Rosica explains “…In the name ‘Emmanuel,’ we find the answer to humanity’s deepest longings for God throughout the ages. Emmanuel is both a prayer and plea (on our behalf) and a promise and declaration on God’s part. When we pronounce the word, we are really praying and pleading: “God, be with us!” And when God speaks it, the almighty, eternal, omnipresent Creator of the world is telling us: “I am with you” in this Child. In the baby Jesus, God is “with us,” not merely to bless us in some sort of cameo appearance at one difficult moment in history. Nor is God with us in that he is going to use Jesus to help us, protect us, rescue us from danger and guide us. No — the little Lord Jesus asleep in the manger of Bethlehem is “God with us” because he is God.” — see Father Rosica’s full reflection here http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=110189

A modern twist…Advent lights my way

With more than 65 million views on YouTube (twice as many who watch the Super Bowl!), this video has left its mark on popular culture.

PHILADELPHIA – A “Christmas Village” sign at a market near City Hall was changed to a more generic “Village” sign after complaints about cultural insensitivity, reported Reuters.

The change, however, immediately brought a swarm of protest. “If we are to be a truly diverse and inclusive community, we must certainly be respectful of all the various celebrations that occur during this time of year,” the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said in a statement. “Christmas deserves its rightful place among those.”

After the story hit the Internet more calls came in from around the country.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter told Reuters that after reflecting on the matter, he asked the market’s manager to restore the word “Christmas” because the market, which sells gifts for the holidays, is a business and not a religious site.

Past flash mobs have been fun to watch, like when an organized group shows up in a department store and slow dances in sync, but this is one flash mob with a message, and it’s already racked up over 10 million views on YouTube: