Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1971-12-01 / 12. szám

4

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

confidence. Encourage youth; gladden the heart of a child. . . Take up arms against malice. Decry complacency; take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth and of God’s blessings. Express your gratitude. Speak your love; speak it again. Love your God, your Country, your faith. Go to church; manifest your faith, love and loyalty in words and deeds. THEN COULD YOU, AND COULD WE ALL KNOW THE TRUE JOY OF CHRISTMAS! Let us pray for this joy:

Gracious Lord, our heavenly Father, we thank thee for the coming of another Christmas season, laden with hallowed memories and blessed relationships. We thank thee for the lovely sentiments, the great impulses, the loving responses that come into our hearts and send us to seek thy face in thy house, and urge us to love thee as obedient children would love their provident father. We thank thee for every heart made happier on this day, for every burden made lighter, for every path that leads us to Him, who was sent for our redemption. We especially thank thee our Father for the unspeakable gift of thy Son, our Saviour, whose birth we celebrate. In the face of thy goodness to us, we pray for the presence of thy Spirit in our lives, that we may walk gently, move helpfully and witness effectively for thee, for Christ and His church. May the message of peace and brotherhood that lodged in the hearts of the shepherds of Bethlehem fill our hearts at this season and be used to ascribe the highest glory to Jesus, our Saviour and King. May the Spirit of the New-born King be born in us, teaching our love to remember, our anger to forgive, our unkindness to forget: that the true joy of Christmas may he upon us, and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be shed abroad in our hearts. In His name we ask. . . . Amen.

Dear Lord,

This is Your birthday! Yet my heart is sad. Because You did so much for me, and what I bring.

Is little worthy of Your love. Yet I am glad That I do not forget the birthday of my King. Should I forget Your birthday, Lord, my heart Would be empty, as I approach Your seat;

And so I come, dear Lord, to do my part,

And lay my soul, my life, my treasures at

Your feet. ------AMEN.

Joseph Kecskemethy

*

S.

'X Jc

Seems to me the stars shine brighter Christmas night;

Seems to me snow lies whiter, , Christmas night;

That the solemn trees stand straighter,

And the frosty moon sets later,

And the hush is stiller, greater, Christmas night.

Seems to me sad things are fewer Christmas night;

Seems to me glad things are truer Christmas night;

Seems to me the bells ring clearer

From their steeples, louder, nearer;

Seems to me the whole world’s dearer Christmas night.

—Unidentified.

Wouldn’t this old world be better If the folks we meet would say,

“I know something good about you!”

And then treat us just that way?

Wouldn’t it be fine and dandy If each handclasp warm and true Carried with it this assurance,

“I know something good about you!”

Wouldn’t life be lots more happy,

If the good that’s in us all Were the only thing about us That folks bothered to recall?

Wouldn’t life be lots more happy,

If we praised the good we see? —

For there’s such a lot of goodness In the worst of you and me.

Wouldn’t it be nice to practice That fine way of thinking,, too? —

You know something good about me!

I know something good about you!

Author Unknown