Okay guys, message from Menagerie. I’m sorry if you don’t like the things I post for Christmas. I respectfully ask you, for the sake of those who enjoy these things, to just pass by. This isn’t politics, and there isn’t a need for debate here.
If you want to discuss politics, I respectfully ask you to go to the political posts. If you want to tell off color jokes, I respectfully ask you not to.
Thank you and Merry Christmas Treepers.
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He has a talent for communicating. Father Mike gave us his best and I’m sure he contemplated his worst. Thanks for posting that.
There is a reason for the season…
Merry Christmas to all…
Amen.
Merry Christmas Menagerrie – plus the whole TreeHouse crew – plus all supportive treepers.
‘Tis the season of giving. My grandma would give us kids what she could – a penny, a nickle ??
As she gave she said “it’s not much, but its with my heart”
That’s the way I feel about CTH – mental hugs to you all
As you said above, if you don’t like Christmas just scroll on by
Thanks Menagerie. I always enjoy your postings. Merry Christmas to you and all the Treepers.
Thank you for the inspiring message!
“…in the City of David, a Savior is born….”
I often visualize the shepherds visualizing the skies filled with angels….
Thank you Menagerie for all of your holiday posts. Not only Christmas, but every holiday. You always give your best and try to bring Joy and Love to all. I am grateful to be able to post with you as each season passes and get much needed relief from all of the political articles and information. Awesome video Fr. Mike, thank you. Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks be to God. Luke 2:11-15
King James Version
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Merry Christmas.. I appreciate your Christmas threads… My best…When I can look past all the “noise” and appreciate what I have… My worst…. trying to stop the hate I have for certain things… It’s becoming a losing battle but I keep trying.. God bless you all!
And that is what it is about nigella, to keep trying each and every day to do a little better than you did the day before!
Thank you Menagerie, I also enjoy your posts. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas.
Merry Christmas! I never heard of Father Mike before but I like him. He is happy and upbeat. But I have never heard of the Christmas song about shoes.. But I do like “The Little Drummer Boy” Josh Groban is my favorite version of that song.
Thanks.
Thanks. I have never heard this song before either.
I love listening to Christmas music, even though it tends to make me cry. Especially since I lost my 1st husband 24 years ago at Christmas time. And this year at Christmas time I lost my daughter. It’s hard but I will still move forward and will continue to love this time of year.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
And to my treeper family too!
Been longing for that song. Haven’t heard it played on our local radio stations all season.
Thank You Menagerie, I’m humbled each time I hear it.
Merry Christmas! Good Riddance 2020!
Fr. Mike’s message is awesome! Thank you for sharing this with us Menagerie . . . the message is a central reminder of Christ’s purpose on this earth, Salvation, Redemption. Rejoice in the gift this is the Baby Jesus.
Found in the bin…. 🙁
Thank you, Menagerrie. Father Mike understands that this is the only reason for Christmas.
Lovely, Menagerie, thank you.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
That was wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas!
A Joyous and Blessed Christmas Season to all you Treepers.
Prosperous New Year as Well…
And may God Continue to Bless America
“And mat God continue to Bless America”.
I have been thinking the same thing John Greene.
We have been hearing a lot of talk about how sinful and awful America is now.
But I personally know many fine and wonderful people who try their best to be good people and good Disciples of Christ.
I think that not only during this Christmas season but especially when those of us who are able to go to Washington on 1-6-2021 will ask for our Heavenly Fathers help and Blessing on our country we are not afraid or shy about asking for the help that we greatly need right now.
I think that some are trying to discourage us from seeking out the powerful help that our Heavenly Father wants us to ask for and that He wants to Bless us with by trying to make us feel like such horrible sinners that we shrink away from HIs love and forgiveness.
Right now we need to move closer to Him not away from Him.
As you say John Greene may God continue to Bless America, all we have to do is ask for it.
I enjoy all of your holiday posts. Merry Christmas Menagerie
Couldn’t have come at a better time, really needed to hear Father’s message. Bet I’m not alone!
You are not alone Nathan Hale, not by a long shot.
Merry Christmas Menagerie and all who keep and watch over the Treehouse!
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” —Matthew 9:9-13
Fr. Mike started straight off by giving us his worst. His worst accent that is.
But God took it and made it better. It wasn’t easy. The worst kept trying to sneak its way back in. But with God, he overcame and persevered.
Intentionally or not, isn’t it neat how his message is so layered in his presentation. And to so boldly sing, not caring if it is good or bad, just giving both for the sake of God’s message.
Now, why was I disappointed when I didn’t hear Mike Rowes voice?
Merry Christmas, Treepers!
Enjoy family and friends.
Give thanks for what is good.
Ask for strength to deal with the rest.
When he said he thought Little Drummer Boy as a worst I thought he was nuts. Its my favorite. I cry every time when the lamb is almost dead and he plays for Jesus. However his following comments explains it all away and with a truth I’d never thought of before. This is an awesome video and yes he makes me cry too. Thank you Jesus.
I love this post.
It’s a fortunate parish that has Father Mike around.
Thank you for your Christmas threads and for the blessing of the holiday spirit they bring, Menagerie.
Last night we enjoyed a beautiful Christmas concert by the Gracias Choir from Korea. It was outstanding and featured one of the best renditions of Little Drummer Boy I’ve seen. I recommend the concert to all who love top quality music and traditional Christmas carols.
Lean in to the Lord.
Thank you Menagerie.
Father Mike is right. And here is the clip from Charlie Brown Christmas that says it all…
Even in 1965, Hollywood was anti-Christian. They tried to get Charles Schultz to cut Linus’ Luke 2 reading. https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/how-charles-schulz-fought-for-jesus-in-a-charlie-brown-christmas.html
How the Charlie Brown Christmas almost wasn’t: https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/how-a-charlie-brown-christmas-almost-wasnt.html
Merry Christmas and good cheer to all. This sanctuary is a Blessing. Thank you
Menagerie, I have read and enjoyed your posts since I found the site several years ago.
God bless you and yours.
Jesus is Lord.
Merry Christmas, Menagerie… to you and yours. And thank you for all you do.
May the Good Lord watch over us, keep us safe and give us all the courage to do right.
From our hearts to yours.
What wonderful mini homily! Thank, Menagerie, you always share something that touches my soul. Merry Christmas!
God bless you, dear Menagerie!
Your posts are ALWAYS welcome and I love this message from Fr. Mike. I have been a fan of his and Ascension Press for years. His and those of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are my favorites.
Menagerie, I pray that you, Sundance, Ad Rem and ALL Treepers have a Christmas filled with good food, family and friends, and especially HIM.
Such a simple message for such a chaotic time. Thanks Menagerie!
Merry Christmas one and all♥️ You were created for this moment in time, to be here today, to witness and participate. Do not wait to be happy, choose it now, choose this moment as you were chosen with love♥️ Blessings all.
Menagerie,
Merry (joyful) Christmas ❣
What a great example of the gospel, Jesus came to save sinners and the lost. Praise God, we have been redeemed!
Merry Christmas Menagerie !
I think you are the sweetest soul CTH has !
merry Christmas to all here at the last refuge.
may your spirits be lifted up as we acknowledge the blessing and wonderful eternal gift and promise of the living son of God!
all the very best.
God loves you!
Merry Christmas regitiger. And…I found this in the bin… 🙁
Merry Christmas Ad rem and thanks for all you do!
You are much appreciated around here!
I laughed out loud by myself in the house. Thank you Fr. Mike, I am definitely seeking out more of your videos.
Why the lecture?
You didn’t have to listen.
Thanks Stella.
It was a serious question Stella.
Amen to that!
Merry Christmas!
Because the first comment on the post, which I trashed, was derogatory, and also because a few people simply insist on making these posts a venue for political arguments. The comment about off color jokes also comes from experience.
For awhile I did posts with comments turned off. I really do not understand why these things are an issue, but they are.
Ah, I get it. I didn’t see anything untoward and was curious.
I’ve been blaming stress. Lot’s of frayed nerves after so many judges said frayed knot a lot of us are at the end of our rope! My tongue is going to look like Swiss cheese going into 2021.
It was a great message on the video and I appreciate and NEED the reminder that there is a much longer game afoot. Prayer and stepping away for a while helps me a lot.
Keep up the great work.
amjean, you are a friend. I always read your posts, and appreciate the thought and effort you put into them. We have lost many friends in the Treehouse since the deplatform / relocate project. Sundance has done a remarkable job, but in spite of that, many of our old friends have disappeared. At my age, that is never easy to absorb. I understand the reason for the question in your post. Permit me to wish you a Merry Christmas, amjean. You’ve got a friend in Pennsylvania. Please don’t disappear. We need your voice.
Thank you for the kind words and Merry Christmas back at you!
Lecture, what lecture? I didn’t hear any lecture!
Merry Christmas
Thank you for posting things for a Christmas. I appreciate it. And even if I didn’t I’d have the manners to keep it to myself. What is wrong w people? If you don’t like it go write your own blog!!!!
I’m going to pray for people whose lives are so sad they have to attack Christmas things!!! Lord have mercy.
Thank you, Menagerie. Your messages are always heartfelt to me. Merry Christmas to all of us here at the treehouse.
Thanks, Menagerie! A good and true message to all of us at Christmas time.
A great reminder, thank you!
All good Menagerie! Thanks for the video. I wish a Merry Christmas to all fellow Treepers, Menagerie, Stella, AdRem, and of course Sundance. If I missed anyone, it was not intentional.
For some reason this year, I am a bit melancholy for one of my special childhood Christmas holiday memories.
My Paternal Grandfather left the oilfield and became a city bus driver for Albuquerque, NM. One of the coolest things he got to, and wanted to, do during the holidays was drive a bus through Old Town Albuquerque for the spectacle. As his family we were able to take the last ride on Christmas Eve.
I am not sure if they still do this, but Old Town Albuquerque would go all out with luminarias, farolitos, chilie ristras and all manner of unique NM decorations. These would be lit up at night and mixed with the traditional NM architecture it was magical.
The year I remember was even more special because of the right amount of snowfall to highlight the season. Toss in NM Biscochitos and mix with some of the old world German cookies grandma made, and everything was as perfect as a 10 year old could remember.
I hope children today get to make some of these very special memories that last much longer than any stuff they get.
Thanks for letting me share and hope all of you are able to enjoy lots of family making memories this year.
Feliz Navidad!
Thank you for sharing. Your comment is just exactly the reason I share these posts. Memories like these are reflections of the actions and life that build our society. If we abandon these customs, bonds, traditions, we lose everything that matters.
Thank you and Thank you for the posts. The value of solid people cannot be over estimated! You, and all the others that make this place what it is, are very special folks! Even for irascible, curmudgeonly old cats like myself.
I love this place.
Willthesuevi, I also am melancholy this Christmas and am finding myself missing my southwestern childhood decorations exactly as you have described.!
Perhaps because it has been a year of losing several family members and friends but I miss the luminarias, farolitos and the great mexican enchiladas, tamales and empanadas we always had for Christmas Eve dinner.
My Mom would fill our house with huge bright red poinsettia’s, her favorite, and it is just not Christmas without out them.
I hope you are able to have a wonderful Christmas, you are very blessed to have such happy memories.
Such a lovely memory to have. Hopefully we are also impacting our families and traditions. This year, I did not get Advent calendars for my 3 kids. Never got a chance to get to my favorite store for Advent calendars, and thought that my 3 teenagers would not miss them. Boy was I wrong. One daughter picked up 3 calendars on Dec 10. Turns out, the chocolate was bad (old, crumbly, inedible) and we returned them. Could not find any suitable replacements in the stores.
New tradition born this year- I decorated 3 ceramic ramekins with felt and ribbon, and I stash a goodie in them each night and close up the felt. All 3, even the home from college kid- pull open their “calendar” each day to reveal the surprise. I had no idea that simple, home crafted Advent calendars would be so appreciated. I may change the decorations on the outside next year, but I don’t think I am ever using a store-bought Advent calendar again.
Thank you to this fine community for your fellowship and acceptance. God bless!
My wife is from the Albuquerque area and she always talked about the way the city, Old Town in particular, was always lit up and decorated for Christmas. I’m personally not a fan of them, but every year she makes Biscochitos or her aunt sends her some. Well, this year things just got too busy for her with work and her aunt decided not to do any baking so she thought she’d have to go without for the first time in many years. One of our sons, however, who loves them, has swooped in to save the day and is bringing a batch just for her when he comes to visit next week! The years of her teaching him how to bake are now returning those blessings.
She considers herself a NY’er now and has said many times that there’s only three things that would get her to go back to NM even for just a visit: The balloon festival, Seeing the Albuquerque at Christmas, and the food anytime.
Merry Christmas, and thanks!
The knowledge that God knows my heart, before I even consider checking my own motives, makes giving Him my worst so much easier to do. And, it is never fruitless to remind me to give Him my best.
Thank you for this video, Menagerie.
I woke up singing this song this morning, “He’s got the whole world in his hands”.
wish you all a very Merry Christmas. And know that God has you in his hands..
Thanks, Menagerie.
Thank you for that. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Menagerie and Co.
Thanks for working so very hard for us………your fan club.
If there were more Fr. Mikes in the world, there would be fewer non-practicing Catholics. I have a cousin named Fr. Mike and he’s good, but this Fr. Mike is GOOOOOOD! Thanks for that Menagerie! I’ll give the Lord my worst this Christmas so He can help me then give Him my best.
Thanks, Menagerie! May our loving, perfect God bless you, all our wonderful Treepers, our magnificent President, and our beautiful country!!
That was excellent and it is SO nice to see a young, energetic Priest with an obvious excellent sense of humor and an outstanding message. We need more Priests like this in the Church.
Because of our parish Priest, my son never made his 1st Communion and it breaks my heart. The Priest (who is now gone) was old, intransigent and humorless and, even at 8 years old, my son was put off and refused to go through with 1st Communion. It was awful, but I though if I “made” him do it, the connotation would be so negative he would turn away from the Church. Instead, I decided to let him come to it in his own time – and we’re getting there now (at 13 years old).
Thanks, Menagerie. I love your posts – always have, always will.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
I will be praying for your son. I do hope you will share the good news when he makes his First Hoky Communion. One of my granddaughters had hers in June and her younger brother is in his class now and will have his next year.
I will remember your son in my prayers. And please remember the importance of confession.
Yes. I spent a lot of time working with my granddaughter to help her be ready, not fear it, and understand that she is encountering Jesus who loves her very much. I was just as thrilled on the day she made her First Confession as at her First Holy Communion.