Denver Catholic

5 DENVER CATHOLIC | DECEMBER 22, 2018-JANUARY 25, 2019 Disclosure *APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The Annual Percentage Rate is the advertised rate. Borrowers credit score must be 680 and above to receive the 3.99% interest rate. Terms not to exceed 60 months; debt to income ratio not to exceed 45%; loan to value not to exceed 125% of NADA value. **Oer not valid for existing Credit Union loans, or renances of recreational vehicles or vehicles used for business purposes; some vehicles may not apply based on age or condition; not valid on indirect loans.Oer only good on new, pre-owned and renanced vehicles December 1-31, 2018. NEW | USED | REFINANCED ** 60 Months Call: 303.424.5037 Click: Fideliscu.org or Come by today Uniting Your Faith and Finances NEW | USED | REFINANCED ** 60 Months 3.99 % APR * Upgrade Your Ride! AUTO RATES STARTING AT Your Physician's Choice for Tinnitus and Hearing Care Advanced Audiology, Inc. Hearing & Tinnitus Center • More than 100 Doctors and Healthcare Providers have referred patients to Advanced Audiology • 85% of our patients come from physician and patient referrals • Better Business Bureau Torch Award Winner for Ethics and Integrity in Business 2015 • 2015 humanitarian practice of the year (National Sivatos Aspire Award 2015 ) • A+ Rated by the BBB • Saturday appointments available. We take your Hearing Seriously. 303-847-4532 www.AdvancedAudiology.com Centennial, Colorado 80112 Dr. Barbara Jenkins Au.D., BCABA Colorado's first board certified Doctor of Audiology Dr. Matthew Gebing Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Castle Rock resident Dr. Tonya Genazzi Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Parker Resident Your Physician's Choice for Tinnitus and Hearing Care Advanced Audiology, Inc. Hearing & Tinnitus Center • More than 100 Doctors and Healthcare Providers have referred patients to Advanced Audiology • 85% of our patients come from physician and patient referrals • Better Business Bureau Torch Award Winner for Ethics and Integrity in Business 2015 • 2015 humanitarian practice of the year (National Sivatos Aspire Award 2015 ) • A+ Rated by the BBB • Saturday appointments available. We take your Hearing Seriously. 303-847-4532 www.AdvancedAudiology.com Centennial, Colorado 80112 Dr. Barbara Jenkins Au.D., BCABA Colorado's first board certified Doctor of Audiology Dr. Matthew Gebing Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Castle Rock resident Dr. Tonya Genazzi Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Parker Resident Your Physician's Choice for Tinnitus and Hearing Care Advanced Audiology, Inc. Hearing & Tinnitus Center • More than 100 Doctors and Healthcare Providers have referred patients to Advanced Audiology • 85% of our patients come from physician and patient referrals • Better Business Bureau Torch Award Winner for Ethics and Integrity in Business 2015 • 2015 humanitarian practice of the year (National Sivatos Aspire Award 2015 ) • A+ Rated by the BBB • Saturday appointments available. We take your Hearing Seriously. 303-847-4532 www.AdvancedAudiology.com Centennial, Colorado 80112 Dr. Barbara Jenkins Au.D., BCABA Colorado's first board certified Doctor of Audiology Dr. Matthew Gebing Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Castle Rock resident Dr. Tonya Genazzi Au.D., BCABA, CCC-A Parker Resident tožpossibly beža series of extraordinary astronomical events — specifi cally, a triple conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, and the star Regulus, which they've dated to right around the time Jesus was supposed to have been born. The Wise Men — who really were ancient astrologers — would certainly have paid attention to events like these and fol- lowed them closely, right to a little town called Bethlehem!ž The second detail that helps us date Jesus' birthž accu- ratelyžis census data. The nativity story in the Gospel of Luke opens with men- tion of a census taken by Quirinius, the governor of Syria at the time. Historical records verify that a widespread census indeedžoccurredžin 6 A.D., thus adding another layer ofžhistorical truthžto the story of Jesus' birth.ž Last but not least, the consen- sus among the early Church Fathers seemed to be that Jesus was born some- time between 3 and 2 B.C. Further, the tradition maintained by several of the Church Fathers is that Jesus was indeed born on Dec. 25. As St. Hippolytus of Rome wrote in his Commentary on Daniel 4:23:3, "the fi rst advent of Our Lord in the fl esh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was eight days before the Kalends of January, the fourth day [i.e., Wednesday] … ." The Kalends was the fi rst day of the month, and eight days before January 1st is December 25th. So, while it's hard to defi nitively know the exact date of Jesus' birth, the evidence provided based on historical records and early Church tradition safely points to December 25th as the birthday of Christ. But keep in mind: The actual date he was born is a matter of history, not doctrine. What matters is that he was born! IS IT TRUE THAT CHRISTMAS USED TO BE ILLEGAL?– Yes! Christianity itself was illegal across the Roman empire until the 4th century, and it wasn't until the 6th cen- tury that Emperor Justinian declared Christmas to be a public holiday. But the history gets even crazier. In the United States, Puritans objected to the celebration of Christmas because they felt it to be too unbiblical and rooted in too much lewd partying. Their dis- approval went so far that Christmas was totally outlawed in Boston from 1659 until the ban was lifted in 1681. By the signing of the Declaration of Inde- pendence in 1776, the celebration of Christmas still was not widespread in the United States. As a matter of fact, even churches were closed during Christmas! Alabama was the fi rst state to declare it a public holiday in 1836, and it wasn't o³ cially proclaimed a federal holiday until 1870. But today, the holiday is widespread and common — well over 85 percent of the U.S. pop- ulation celebrates Christmas! WHERE DOES SANTA FIT IN? ALSO, WHO'S–ST. NICHOLAS AND WHAT'S HIS DEAL WITH SHOES?– Santa Claus has been around for a while, but his popularity really increased in the fi rst half of the 20th century, largely due to an ad campaign by Coca-Cola. Santa Claus comes from the DutchžSinterklass, which translates to St. Nicholas, who was a fourth-cen- tury Bishop of Myra. He was born into až superž wealthy familyž andž used his inheritance to perform acts of charity. One story tells that he kept a widower from selling his three daugh- tersž into prostitution by tossing a bag with golden coins into their home one Christmasž night. He did this for several more years, until the widower caught him and discovered it was Bishop Nicholas. Notice the similar- ities? Oh,ž it'sž also worth mentioning that there is a popular tradition that St. Nickžpunched a guy in the face at the Council ofžNiceažin 325 A.D.žSeriously, look it up.ž As forž thež shoež thing, what can we say — the dude had impeccable fashion sense.ž We'll leave you with a quote from Pope Benedict XVI, from his book Jesus of Nazareth: "What did Jesusž actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosper- ity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beingsžhave tožtake in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about our origin and destiny: faith, hope and love. It is only because of our hardness of heart that we think this is too little. Yes indeed, God's power works quietly in this world, but it is the true and the lasting power.ž Againž and again, God's cause seems to be in its death throes. Yetžover and over againžit proves to be the thing that truly endures and saves." CURIOUS? Visit mtyr.org for more. i

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