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Thebirth of the Christian Messiah is an event of such magnitude that it
corresponds to a change in direction on the horizon of the planet. ForÂ
several days after the winter solstice, the sunrise appears at the same
spot on the horizon. The day appointed for the birth of Christ is the
first day when the position of the sunrise appears to change direction,
reversing the shortening of days and beginning a period of greater
light.
Christmas is the
heart of Christianity, a time of rejoicing for the miracle of birth and
rebirth, heralding transformation and forgiveness through the peaceful
birth of the Prince of Peace, who has not yet said a word of His message
nor yet performed an act of His love.
Hazrat
Inayat Khan: "In reality the greatest miracle of Christ that any wise
man or woman can see is the miracle of Christ's living heart; not
wonder-working, but the living God presented to the world. This was the
lighted faith which helped the darkness to vanish, not dogmas,
doctrines, or theories which all came after-wards."
The
heart of Christmas is celebrating the birth of the divine within, in
the manger of the heart. A divine gift was conceived in each human soul,
but it must wait to be delivered until the opening of the heart. Every
time this happens to any of us, the wise men and women who are aware of
the initiation gather to celebrate.
Every
Christian who seeks for the Truth of Christ is a Sufi, for Sufi
literally means, "Seeker of Truth." And every Sufi recognizes Christ as
the savior of humanity. As Hazrat Inayat Khan, the great Sufi teacher,
said, Â
"In the smile
of the innocent child, there is Christ; in the warmth of the mother's
heart for her child, Christ is hidden. In the unselfish,
self-sacrificing love of the father, Christ shows himself. In the kindly
attitude of a friend you can see the spirit of Christ. What is there
which has beauty, tenderness, or gentleness which has not the spirit of
Christ?"
Frankincense,
used in worship and medicine; myrrh, used in embalming; and gold, of
eternal worth, were given to the divine child in recognition of His
dominion over life, death and
eternity. We celebrate the birth of the Christ within, every day that
we recognize the divine in ourselves or another. By our praise of a
person's heart, in any of its four dimensions, we offer a golden gift of
beautiful fragrance, a gift of healing and celebration that brings to
life that which we recognize.
I
celebrate the opening of your heart, the increasing light of your being
and the truth of the divine within you by saying, "Merry Christmas!"
of the innocent child, there is Christ; in the warmth of the mother's
heart for her child, Christ is hidden. In the unselfish,
self-sacrificing love of the father, Christ shows himself. In the kindly
attitude of a friend you can see the spirit of Christ. What is there
which has beauty, tenderness, or gentleness which has not the spirit of
Christ?"
Frankincense,
used in worship and medicine; myrrh, used in embalming; and gold, of
eternal worth, were given to the divine child in recognition of His
dominion over life, death and
eternity. We celebrate the birth of the Christ within, every day that
we recognize the divine in ourselves or another. By our praise of a
person's heart, in any of its four dimensions, we offer a golden gift of
beautiful fragrance, a gift of healing and celebration that brings to
life that which we recognize.
I
celebrate the opening of your heart, the increasing light of your being
and the truth of the divine within you by saying, "Merry Christmas!"
The Heart of Hanukkah
by Ethan Bair
The
story most people tell about Hanukkah is that of the miracle of oil
that should have lasted just one night but lasted instead for eight. The
miracle of light! Yet, at its heart, Hanukkah is about prevailing over
persecution, celebrating a military victory. But its message is deeper:
through faith and persistence the Jewish people endures despite
adversaries in every age that have oppressed her. Thus, Hanukkah is both
particularistic and universal. Hanukkah celebrates the rights of
minority cultures and religions everywhere to practice their way of life
in freedom. This message can also be applied to any oppressed minority.
As a Hillel rabbi at the University of
California, I learned today that a student painted a swastika outside one of the Jewish fraternity houses. The entire staff of Hillel, the
Provost, Deans of Religious Life on campus, and the director of Greek
life all showed up in solidarity with the men of the fraternity to light
the menorah. It was a moving example-how in every age, despite hate and
persecution, Jews and their non-Jewish friends and supporters gather
together to demonstrate that acts of baseless hatred will not stand.
The
Jewish spirit is one of hope, in support of pluralism. When one
dominant culture would have the Jewish people assimilate or be
intimidated, we remind ourselves and the world about what we are all
about: Keeping the message of one God alive in the world through our
particular religion, communities and culture to make the world a better,
holier place: In short, bravely being who we truly are, despite all
forces that would want us to be just like everyone else-or worse. That
is why it is not enough simply to light the menorah in private. Rather,
we are commanded to place the menorah in the window-to display the
miracle of this enduring human spirit, despite all odds, for all to see.
As I stare into the simple candles of my menorah this season, I pray
for the Jewish people, for the American people and for our global
people: that we all continue to recognize the value of diversity and
pluralism for the sake of a richer, stronger and more collaborative
shared future. Being One does not mean being the same. That is the heart
of Hanukkah's message to me.
The Spirit of Kwanzaa
Connection, community, cooperation, creativity, responsibility, expression, faith and unity! These are a few words that resonate with my heart as I reflect upon the meaning of Kwanzaa, an African American tradition founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. It was created with a focus on the traditional African values of family, community, responsibility, commerce, and self improvement. What a joyful way to celebrate the completion of one year and embrace the many blessings of the next!
I attended my first Kwanzaa celebration almost 20 years ago with dear friends in Florida. Although it
is a week long celebration, I participated in 2 of the 7 days. We shared our successes and set-backs,
we dined together, we honored our ancestors, and we shared visions for our own lives and our communities for the following year.
Since that time, I have grown into a much deeper appreciation for the spirit of Kwanzaa. Last year, my family decided to apply the principles of Kwanzaa by establishing our own unique 5 day celebration
of family unity and creativity. Together, we decided to call it Family Observance Week. It occurs December 27th - December 31st and each day has a specific theme for shared family activities. Each day is represented as follows:
Day One: Nutrition (better known in our household as No Junk in the Trunk!)
Day Two: Reading (Hooked on Books)
Day Three: Indoor Activities (Mental Montage)
Day Four: Outoor Activities (Fit for the Future)
Day Five: Meet and Eat (Communicate then Grab a Plate)
Family Observance Week is a great opportunity for family members to not only enjoy each other's company, but to explain and discuss the unique and exceptional attributes of their family. Whether observed with immediate family members (mother, father, children), extended family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins), or significant others (close friends, foster relations, those deeply cared about), Family Observance Week is sure to be time well spent with the family; uplifting each other...sharing inspirational messages...connecting spiritually and emotionally.
In the spirit of Kwanzaa, I wish you and your family a holiday season filled with cooperation, creativity,and connection!
by Felic
The Children's Circle NEW!
Heart to Heart Breathing
Gently hold hands with your child and make soft eye contact.
As you start to exhale you gently squeeze the child's left hand with your right hand. Tell your child that you are sending love to him/her on your breath, and ask your child to begin to inhale as you exhale.
Â
Then
tell your child to gently squeeze your left hand as she/he begins to
breathe out, sending you her/his love, and you will fully breathe in
their love. Keep alternating this sequence: your right hand gently
squeezes as you exhale and send love as your child inhales, and your
child squeezes your left hand as he/she exhales and you inhale.
Keep
going until you feel that you and your child have entrained, joined,
connected. This has a deep calming effect on both parent and child that
words could never reach. Though, once you have joined heart to heart,
you may both want to share simply in words what you felt beyond words.
Â
Hints and Variations:
You can let the child set the pace of the inhale/exhale. You can ask them to help you calm down.
Often
if child is upset to start, they may breathe very quickly. Go ahead and
begin where they are and then gradually deepen your breathing to
entrain the child to a slower rhythm. Remember that your heart's energy
system reaches 10 feet outside of your body and communicates your
emotional state to your child. An upset child will ultimately "entrain"
with a deep, rhythmic breath that carries love and affection. (Even
colicky babies!)
You can also hold an upset child with one hand over
the front and one had over the back of their heart and ask them to
breathe in rhythm with you (make your inhale and exhale loud enough for
them to hear and follow).
This practice is from the webcourse; Parenting from the Heart with Daniel McMannis.
If you may have a meditation practice you do with your child and you would like to share with us, please send an email to Heart@appliedmeditation.org
 "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."Â ~ Charles Dickens |
 "May the lights of Hanukkah usher in a better world for all humankind." ~ Author Unknown |
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
~ Martin Luther King Jr
FROM>>>https://appliedmeditation.org/.
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