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Days 8,9,10,&11

OK, so the 12 days of Christmas is getting a bit accelerated.  I'm off for a couple of days and want to get ahead...planning on making a final blog on the 12th day.

By the way, Shakespeare wrote "Twelfth Night".  The twelfth night is January 5, which is one of the days I'm gone, so I'll lean a bit towards that now.
The origin and counting of the 12 days is not universally held in the church.  Western churches count after Christmas and the 12th day is Jan. 6th.
The 12th day is celebrated as the day the Magi - the wise men - from the East arrived to present their gifts to the baby Jesus.  Here is the passage that records that in the New Living Translation:
Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT)
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 


The event that concludes with the Magi's bowing before the child is referred to as Epiphany.

The song we've been remembering is based on a series of images/symbols, all which stand for an aspect of the faith:
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love (God) gave to me
A Partridge in a Pear tree (Jesus)
On the second day...
Two Turtle doves (Old and New Testaments)
Three French Hens (Faith, Hope, and Love)
Four Colly Birds (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Five Golden Rings (The Pentateuch)
Six Geese-a-laying (Six days of Creation)
Seven Swans-a-swimming (Seven fold Spirit)
And, now 8, 9, 10, and 11

Eight Maids-a-Milking - There are 8 Beatitudes Jesus spoke
Matthew 5:3-10 (NIV)
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Nine Ladies Dancing - There are Nine Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ten Lords-a-leaping - There are 10 Commandments God gave Moses
Exodus 20:3-17 (NIV)
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol...
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God...
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother...
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house...
your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Eleven Pipers Piping - There were 11 Apostles who stayed true to Christ
Luke 6:13-16 (NIV)
13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 Judas son of James, (and Judas Iscariot, the 12th was a traitor.)

You got to admit..it's a clever way to teach any kind of Catechism!

Peace




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