It’s Christmas Eve again, already, another year is almost over. But before it ends, we have an important and beautiful celebration: Christmas. We tend to forget that Christmas is not one day, Christmas Day, but twelve! It behoves us to celebrate them all if we can; it ill behoves us to forget them since, these days, we have little opportunity to celebrate anything. There is trouble and strife every which way we look!
For your continued support, I should like to thank you all. Your loyalty and support mean so much to me.
So, please allow me to extend to you my heartfelt thanks and naturally, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Ich wünsche Ihnen allen von ganzem Herzen ein recht schönes Weihnachtsfest!
Je vous souhaite à tous un très Joyeux Noël de tout mon cœur !
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Showing posts with label Christmas message. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas message. Show all posts
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Sunday, December 25, 2022
King Charles Pays Tribute to His Mother in First Christmas Message as Sovereign
Dec 25, 2022 | King Charles III delivered his first Christmas message on Sunday, paying tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II. Echoing his mother's words in her last Christmas message, where she spoke of her grief at losing her husband Prince Philip, Charles said Christmas was 'a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones'.
Charles delivered his pre-recorded message standing in St George's Chapel in Windsor, where the Queen and Prince Philip are both buried. Footage of the royal family, including the prince and princess of Wales, appeared on screen while he spoke. His message ended with a rendition of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem,' which Charles used to cite the late Queen's 'belief in the power of that light', performed by the choir of St George's Chapel.
Charles delivered his pre-recorded message standing in St George's Chapel in Windsor, where the Queen and Prince Philip are both buried. Footage of the royal family, including the prince and princess of Wales, appeared on screen while he spoke. His message ended with a rendition of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem,' which Charles used to cite the late Queen's 'belief in the power of that light', performed by the choir of St George's Chapel.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Wishing You All a Very Merry Christmas
MARK ALEXANDER: I would like to take this opportunity to wish you ALL a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. Sadly, many will have to celebrate alone. This is very true for many in the gay community; but it has to be said, not only. Many in the straight community will also have to try and celebrate alone, too. Remember this: Loneliness has to be experienced to be understood.
My heart goes out to all who will find themselves alone at this time. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are. Loneliness is the same for everyone, whether you are in China, Germany, France or the USA. Loneliness is the same. People who find themselves alone in war zones must especially be in our thoughts and prayers. In fact, ALL who find themselves in war zones must be in our thoughts and prayers.
Make the best of the situation you find yourself in wherever you are. You might feel alone, but you are not!
May God protect us all!
Happy Christmas to you all! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeaux Noël ! Buon Natale! Feliz Navidad! Or, as we say in my part of the world, Nadolig Llawen!
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Friday, December 24, 2021
A Christmas Message
Christmas, as wonderful and joyous a time of year as it can be, for many it can also be poignant and sad, especially for people who have lost loved ones. In the commercial frenzy that often accompanies the build-up to the festive season, it is easy to forget that many people suffer at this time of year. Our thoughts should be with them.
Marginalised people, as gays can often be, especially older gays, are frequently very lonely. This can be an especially challenging time of the year for them. Since the loss of my own partner in 2016, I am myself no stranger to loneliness; so, I understand how difficult this time of year can be for so many people, whether gay or straight. Loneliness is no respecter of age, class or social standing. Money doesn’t buy good company. Further, many young gays who have been rejected by their families can suffer just as much as older people can. Please spare a thought for young gays, too; especially gays who have come out and who have been rejected by their families just for being true to themselves.
We are all living through especially difficult times since the start of this ‘forever’ pandemic. So, all we can do is do our very best to stay safe and healthy. It is my sincere hope that you ALL stay healthy and safe. Then we need to hope and pray for better times ahead.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support. As I have told you before, it means a lot to me. I can only hope that my blog posts bring you all as much pleasure as your visits bring me.
With my best wishes to you all for Christmas. / Avec mes vœux chaleureux pour Noël. / Mit den herzlichsten Wünschen zu Weihnachten.
Mark
Queen's Christmas Message Expected to Be Personal
BBC: The Queen is expected to give a very personal Christmas message this year, in her first Christmas since the death of her husband Prince Philip.
The annual broadcast was recorded last week, before the Queen's decision to stay in Windsor Castle because of concerns about the pandemic.
There are not any Christmas day public appearances expected from the Queen.
But she was said to be in "good form" by Buckingham Palace aides and needed few takes to complete the recording.
The traditional Christmas day message, to be screened at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, is an address to the nation and to the Commonwealth, reflecting on the passing year. » | Sean Coughlan, BBC News royal correspondent | Thursday, December 23, 2021
Friday, December 25, 2020
The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2020
“In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.”
In her 2020 broadcast, The Queen reflects on acts of kindness and heroism during this extraordinary year.
In her 2020 broadcast, The Queen reflects on acts of kindness and heroism during this extraordinary year.
Monday, December 25, 2017
The Christmas Broadcast, 1957
Sunday, January 08, 2017
Sunday, December 25, 2016
German President Gauck Speaks of Compassion | DW News
Friday, December 23, 2016
Trump Receives 'Very Nice' Christmas Letter from Putin
"A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct," Trump said in a statement. "I hope both sides are able to live up to these thoughts, and we do not have to travel an alternate path." » | David Wright | Friday, December 23, 2016
Friday, December 27, 2013
'Orwell's 1984 a Fairytale Compared to Reality': Snowden Delivers Christmas Message
Related »
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
The Queen's Christmas Day Message 2013 in Full
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
THE GUARDIAN: It is neither emotionally nor spiritually deficient to reject religions that seek to infantilise us with impossible beliefs
Antidisestablishmentarianism is on the march. Which is odd, considering there is only the faintest whiff of disestablishmentarianism to fight. The Archbishop of Canterbury set this hare running with his usual confused mumbling into his beard. To disestablish the church would be "by no means the end of the world", he said bravely. He hastened to add that he did not want the church sundered from the state right now. And he would oppose "secularists [boo, hiss] trying to push religion into the private sphere". This sent the Telegraph and Mail into a spin, claiming a devilish distestablishment plot on the Labour backbenches - though they could find only three usual suspects. These MPs say the likely move to end the 1701 Act of Settlement that bars Catholics from the throne will make an established church impossible.
How likely is this? Look at how Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have promoted faith and religiosity as "community", and ask yourself if there is the faintest chance that Labour spends untold parliamentary time unpicking the cat's cradle of a relationship between church, Lords and crown? Frankly, if Labour had the inclination for constitutional reform, first priority should be ending our disastrous first-past-the-post voting system.
True, it is embarrassing to be the only western democracy that has theocracy built into its legislature. The 26 bishops in the Lords interfere regularly: they are a threat on abortion, and their campaign sank the Joffe bill, giving the terminally ill the right to die in dignity. Of course they should not be there, when only 16% of people will grace the pews on Christmas Day, and Christian Research forecasts church attendance falling by 90%. But a dying faith clings hard to its inexplicable influence on public life.
Labour has encouraged the power of the religions to a remarkable degree, consulting them on endless committees. To be an atheist is now unacceptable in a political leader: when Nick Clegg confessed his non-belief, he had to recant and re-define himself as an "agnostic". The BBC is increasing religious broadcasting; Radio 4 already does 200 hours. Is this by popular demand? No. An Ofcom survey put religion last in the public's interests. Expect a worsening clash in the new Equality Commission between religious rights and gay and women's rights. The Islington registrar who refused to conduct civil partnerships for religious reasons was an ominous landmark case.
This has been the year of religion's fightback against secularism - a word made almost synonymous with the spiritual and moral decadence of materialism. Angered by the runaway success of anti-God books by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, AC Grayling and others, the different faiths - though each believes it has the one and only divinely revealed truth and often fights to the death to prove it - combine in curious harmony against secularists. >>> Polly Toynbee | Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)