Good Morning Digital Neighbors and Friends! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! In Cath-O-land and others parts of Christianity they are celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. Actually celebrated on the 6th of January after the 12 Days of Christmas, it has been transferred to the 2nd Sunday after Christmas.
Our brothers & sisters in the world of Orthodoxy make a bigger celebration out of this than the 25th. They rejoice in the celebration of the Christ begin revealed as Savior of the Nations. Given the commercialization of Christmas and the glut of materialism that often floods it, perhaps they better off distilling the meaning of the event than so many who get caught in themselves. We celebrate the birth of the Son of God by giving one another lots of presents and feasting like it is our last meal to the point of being miserable. I know, I know, I'm leashing the curmudgeon now, but he does like to speak his peace.😊
On a related note - God, life, or fate provides plenty of signs, or so I am inclined to think when reflect upon my own story or listen to the experiences of others. For believers in some sort of High Power those are moments of providential awareness, for unbelievers I would think of them as inexplicable serendipitous moments. Our awakened minds are ordered to grasp for meaning, so are we discovering it or imposing it on reality? Our preoccupied mind doesn't bother with meaning, it doesn't bother with much more than gratification, I suspect that is a rather long winded debate.
Either way on this Sunday morning, I pray and hope there are subtle signs in your life and that you are receptive to them. I can't tell you where they come from or what they mean for you. If you are riding the Trinity train, I can provides some comparative notes and insights from much wiser men and woman that have preceded me that speak of how our humble God often acts in the lives of His children. If you aren't on the Trinity Train, I still believe their are signs that life/fate are providing and being receptive to them can be life changing. Sometimes just a simple move in one direction, taking a chance on a point of hesitation, or finally getting past of point of procrastination can be the beginning of profound changes in life. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year my friends!
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.
