Six Years and Counting

Posted on May 1, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowds after his election.

April 19, 2011 marked the sixth anniversary of Cardinal Ratzinger being elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by the College of Cardinals through the intercession of the Holy Ghost. It is really quite amazing what he had accomplished in those six years. Here is my list of the achievements of Pope Benedict’s first six years. Let me know which achievements I may have missed.

  1. Allowing any priest in the world to offer the Latin Tridentine Mass without needing to request permission from the bishop.
  2. A reform of the reform. This includes a more careful translation of the English Mass.
  3. Bringing traditional Anglicans into the True Church.
  4. Filling the powerful positions of the Church with conservative prelates.
  5. Cracking down on renegade orders.

If he has been able to accomplish this much in 6 years, what will the next 6 bring? Keep Pope Benedict in your prayer.

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Happy 84th Birthday, Pope Benedict XVI

Posted on April 16, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid
Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his 84th birthday today. Not surprisingly, the Pope spent his birthday working. He gave a speech to welcome the new Spanish ambassador, appointed an Italian bishop and met with several members of the hierarchy. There was not rest for the leader of the world’s Catholics even on his birthday or a Saturday. Pope Benedict XVI’s birthday falls on the eve of Holy Week, one of the busiest weeks in the year for him. The Holy Father received congratulations from leaders and laity all over the world. Continue to keep Pope Benedict in your prayers. May he be successful in the work he does and may he rule over the Roman Catholic Church for many years to come. God Bless, Pope Benedict XVI.

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Duty of the Priest by Michael Voris

Posted on March 30, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV fame

Last Saturday, the Knights of Columbus of St. Isidore Catholic Church hosted their annual vocations dinner to raise money to help support local seminarians. The dinner was accompanied by two talks. The first was a vocation story by the local vocations director. The second talk was given by Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV fame. He spoke on the duty of priests. I was able to record his talk. You will find it below. It gives you a new appreciation for the priesthood. Makes me want to sign up for a black cassock.

The Duty of the Priest by Michael Voris

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The Most Beautiful Song That Elvis Ever Sang

Posted on March 10, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Elvis sang many beautiful songs, especially Gospel. In fact, Elvis got his start singing Gospel. Now listen to the most beautiful song about Our Lady ever sung by a non-Catholic.

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Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church

Posted on February 27, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

“And Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi: and He asked His disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” – St. Matthew 16: 13-19 (DRB)

Wednesday, the Roman Catholic Church celebrated the great feast of the Chair of St. Peter.  This is truly a great feast because it commemorates the fact that the Catholic Church is the only Church that can claim an unbroken connection to the Apostles through the office of the Pope. There is no other church in the world whose leader can claim and prove descent from Peter.

Why is this important? People need an authority figure to lead them or anarchy results. From early history groups of people always has leaders to guide the way. It is part of the way God designed us. Look at the family, the basic hierarchical unit.

Let’s take the case of the Jewish people. God gave the Jewish people the order of High Priests to lead them. He also sent the prophets, but the High Priests were a constant figure in the Jewish religion, until the destruction of the Temple. By this time, the Christian religion had replaced the Jewish.

Once the Christian church was established, who was seen as its leader and head? St. Peter. This is obvious once you take a look at Acts of the Apostles chapter 15. In this chapter, a council of bishops was called in Jerusalem to discuss how Gentiles should be allowed into the Church. St. Peter makes the final decision. Jesus Himself gave Peter this power in the above quote when He gave him the name Peter and made him the rock that the rest of the Church is built upon. In fact, Jesus said, “That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” St. Matthew 16:18 (DRB) Because St. Peter was the bishop of Rome, this power was passed on to all succeeding Bishops of Rome.

All Catholics should thank God for the Papacy, in general, and Pope Benedict, in particular. He and his predecessors have led the Church for over 2,000 years and always will until Christ returns with great power and majesty. In the mean time, we must pray that he will continue to have the courage and strength to lead the Catholic Church and the world from the Chair of St. Peter.

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The True Face of Modernism Revealed

Posted on January 25, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

The following is an amusing clip from a British TV show “Yes, Prime Minister”.  In it there is an explanation of modernism that is spot on.  Enjoy.

Posted in Anglican, Church of England, Liberalism, Modernism, Protestants, Uncategorized, Video | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Only One Way to Receive Holy Communion – Part 3

Posted on January 23, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

In this final part of my series discussing Danielle Bean’s article “Why I’m Giving Up Communion On the Tongue”, I will critique the arguments she gives for switching to Communion in the hand and refute them.JesusCommunionChildren

I have always received the Eucharist on the tongue…This is not something I usually get all political or righteous about. I understand that many devout people hold different opinions on this topic and that “good” Catholics are free to receive on the hand or on the tongue. For me, though, receiving on the tongue has always felt like the most appropriate way to recognize and respect Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.

But now I’m not so sure anymore.

Receiving Communion on the tongue is something that anyone should get “political” and “righteous” about because you are being faithful to over 2,000 years of teaching concerning how to receive Communion.  People may have many opinions, but there is only one truth.  Follow that Truth, do not be swayed by the opinions of others.  Those opinions will lead you from the Truth.

While I still very much prefer to receive on the tongue, I am afraid that option is becoming a less reasonable choice for me. And, ironically, it’s becoming a less respectful way to receive the Eucharist.

How is touching the Consecrated Host with unconsecrated hand being more respectful towards Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament?  Saints and Fathers of the Church repeatedly said that to receive Communion in the hand is sinful, while they advocated receiving Communion on the tongue.

PopeBenedictCommunionNun

Do you feel bad because you are sticking your tongue out at the priest?  One time when I went to a retreat, the priest said that receiving Communion on the tongue was the only time you could legitimately stick out your tongue at a priest.

At the Masses I attend, more often than not, I receive Communion from an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. These EMHCs, more often than not, have no idea what to do when a person presents herself to receive Communion on the tongue. I am not blaming them for this problem so much as whatever training they have received…I know I could “solve” this problem by only attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form where receiving on the tongue while kneeling is the norm. But that is just not a realistic option for me.

Okay, I have a big problem here.  Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are just that extraordinary.  They are not needed.  The ordinary minister of Holy Communion is the priest.  If Bean was a real traditionalist as she pretends to be she would be receiving Holy Communion from the priest, not a layperson.  According to the revelations of demons during the exorcism in Warnings for Beyond, “The worst thing is when women are appointed to distribute Communion. Then there are scarcely any blessings or graces; these are not consecrated hands, these are women’s hands. I want to clarify that – saying that these are women’s hands would, in it self, have no special significance, but the hands are not consecrated. Christ chose men, and only men, for the Priesthood – not women.  But this is pride – pride, the original sin of the Angels”Consecration

Here is a parallel story from the Bible.  In the Bible, the Levite priests were allowed to carry or even touch the Ark of the Covenant: “No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever” (1 Chronicles 15:2; 1 Paralipomenon 15:2 in DRB). But when a non-Levite touched the Ark of the Covenant, he was struck dead: “And when they came to the floor of Chidon, Oza put forth his hand, to hold up the ark: for the ox being wanton had made it lean a little on one side. And the Lord was angry with Oza, and struck him, because he had touched the ark; and he died there before the Lord” (1 Chronicles 13:9-10; 1 Paralipomenon 13:9-10 in DRB).  After reading this story, I would never want to touch a Consecrated Host.

I could be stubborn and insist upon receiving on the tongue because I have a right to, even when the challenges it causes become a distraction to myself and others. But that doesn’t seem like something Christ would want me to do.

Once again, this in not something optional.  The tradition of the Church and Church Fathers say that you are doing the right thing, why bow to the wishes of the modernists, the liberals, the progressives?  Your duty is to fight these moves to do away with the traditions of the Church.  You do have a right to receive Communion on the tongue, the Church says so.  Once again, noting good can come of bending to the currents of the day, when the Church has always preached the opposite.  If we give up our traditions here, where will it end?  Besides you are not distracting the people, you are setting an example for them.  At one of the churches that we attend, more and more people are receiving Communion on the tongue because they see my family doing it and follow our example.  There was a gentleman who told may dad that seeing us receive Communion on the tongue gave him the courage to do the same.  The example you give is very powerful.JesusFirstHolyCommunion

In closing, here is a final quote from the demons.  They are responding to a question about whether priests should give Communion in the hand when asked.

“In no circumstances! Absolutely not! Do you believe that the priest is the puppet of his people? He has the right of command! Broadly speaking, we have to add this: if the priests were to give Communion in the mouth, as Those up there wish (he points upward), they would probably meet with opposition at the beginning, because we (demons) put oil on the fire, but in the long run, they would have many more faithful in their churches than in the ones where Communion is given differently, where there is this lukewarmness.”

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Only One Way to Receive Holy Communion – Part 2

Posted on January 22, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

History

Most people are under the illusion that Communion in the Hand has always been a part of way Catholics received the sacraments.  If you have read the quotes from Church fathers and Church documents in the previous part of this series, you will know this is not true.

Even in the face of all the documentation to the contrary, there are many who say that Communion in the hand was practiced by the Early Church.  They go on to say, “If they did it, why can’t we?”  There was a book published in the 1980s called Warnings from Beyond.  This book contained revelations made by demons during a series of exorcisms from 1975 to 1978.  When asked about Communion in the hand, they revealed the following: LastSupperCommunion

It is we who schemed and plotted for that. We said to ourselves: If we can manage to introduce Communion in the hand among the early Christians, then later on they will be able to say: “There was Communion in the hand previously at the time of the first Christians.” And so it was that this Council, these men of today, would be able to say: “The first Christians communicated in the hand, therefore there is nothing wrong in it. They were the first Christians, It was the time of the life of Christ, they were near Christ. Therefore, it absolutely cannot be sinful.”

True, they did not know that this was not wanted by God. At that very moment, even then, we said to ourselves that if we could make that happen, the result would be a certain lukewarmness. However, Communion in the mouth was brought back. Certain saintly souls and very great Doctors of the Church saw clearly where this was leading, and that it would be better and that there would be much more respect if He up there (he points upward) were received in the mouth… if they could not simply take Him into their hands, into their filthy hands … with nails too long or varnished, or uncared-for hands. We cannot even say it all. There are often people who have not washed their hands all day, when they go somewhere… I do not want to say that! … It is a frightful irreverence.

If Communion in the hand is so bad and contrary to the counsel of many saints and the laws of the Church, how did it become so prevalent?  Through disobedience to the Pope.  His Excellency Juan Rodolfo Laise, in his book Communion in the Hand: Documents and History, stated the following: “It is true that the practice spread but this was due only to the fact that the Episcopal Conferences allowed its introduction without the demanded conditions being in existence and without taking into consideration the exhortation of Paul VI.”

Hoping to stop this disobedience form spreading, Pope Paul VI issued four restrictions in Memoriale Domini before Communion in the hand could be allowed:

(a) the indult could only be requested if Communion in the hand was an already established custom (i.e., disobedient abuse) in the country, and

(b) if “by a secret vote and with a two-thirds majority” the episcopal conference petitions Rome,

(c) then Rome would grant the necessary permission,

(d) once the permission was granted, several conditions had to exist simultaneously (among these conditions, no loss of sacred particles and no loss of faith in the Real Presence), or Communion in the hand was not permitted, even with the indult. These conditions are outlined in “En réponse à la demande,” which is attached to the Memoriale Domini instruction.

In 1977, the US National Council of Catholic Bishops met to vote to petition Rome for a dispensation.

Fr. John Hardon, S.J. declared on November 1, 1997 in Detroit, Michigan:

“To get enough votes to give Communion on the hand, bishops who were retired, bishops who were dying, were solicited to vote to make sure that the vote would be an affirmative in favor of Communion in the hand. Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.”

For more detailed information on the history of Communion in the hand, go here.

Particles

One of the major problems with Communion in the Hand is the problem of the particles.  Just as a piece of bread has many crumbs, so do that consecrated hosts have many crumbs or particles.  Each one of those particles is the sacred Body and Blood of Jesus.  The Council of Florence said, “Christ is present in every Particle of the consecrated Host and of the consecrated wine, when separated from the rest.”  The Council of Trent said, “If anyone denies that the Venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist that Christ is present under every part of each Species when separated, let him be anathema.”PopeBenedictCommunionNun

When a person received Communion in the hand, their hand is covered with hundreds of tiny particles.  It is almost impossible to consume all of them.  When a person received Holy Communion on the tongue, there is not problem about particles because the particles fall on the tongue and are consumed.

Why is this so important?  Because is it a sign of irreverence, however unintended, towards Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  Here is how several saint reacted when they found particles of consecrated hosts.  “When St. Teresa Margaret found a Fragment of a Host on the floor near the altar, she broke into tears because she thought about the irreverence that might be shown to Jesus, she knelt in adoration before the Particle until a priest came to take It and put It in the tabernacle.”  “Once when St. Charles Borromeo was distributing Holy Communion, he inadvertently dropped a Sacred Particle from his hand. The saint considered himself guilty of grave irreverence to Jesus, and was so afflicted that for four days he had not the courage to celebrate Holy Mass, and as a penance he imposed an eight-day fast on himself!”  ” (Both quotes  are taken from, Jesus Our Eucharistic Love by Father Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. Conv., S.T.D.)

Satanists

Most people do not know this, but there two groups of people who believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist: Catholics and satanists.  If you put a hundred unconsecrated hosts and one consecrate host in front of a satanist and he will be able to tell you which one is consecrated.

Satanists are very happy about Communion in the hand.  It makes it much easier for them to get a hold of consecrated hosts to desecrate in their black masses.  Before Communion in the hand, satanists had to pay fallen or unscrupulous Catholics to pretend to take Communion in the mouth and smuggle it out.  Now, all a satanist has to do it go to a Mass and receive Communion in the hand.

Finally, remember and take to heart the following words of two modern saints (one beatified, the other declared a servant of God).

As reported by Fr. George Rutler in his Good Friday sermon at St. Agnes Church, New York in 1989, when Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by Fr. Rutler, “What do you think is the worst problem in the world today?” She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat and so on. “Without pausing a second she said, ‘Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'” (note: Fr. Emerson of the Fraternity of St. Peter was also a witness to this statement by Mother Teresa).MotherTeresaCommunion

The late, great Fr. John Hardon spoken out against Communion in the hand. On November 1st, 1997 at the Call to Holiness Conference in Detroit, Michigan, there was a panel discussion in which Fr. John Hardon was one of the speakers who fielded various questions from the audience. One of the questions was about Communion in the hand. After explaining how the practice was illegally introduced into the United States, he concluded by saying, “Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.”

The third and final part will be completed shortly.  Watch for it.

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Only One Way to Receive Holy Communion – Part 1

Posted on January 8, 2011 by John Paul Wohlscheid

A couple of day ago, I ran across an article on a “Catholic” website entitled “Why I’m Giving Up Communion On the Tongue” by Danielle Bean.  I had to do a double take.  The fact that someone was actually saying this left me very upset, so upset in fact that I decided to write this series of posts.

Before I start, let me say here and now that there is only one way to receive Holy Communion, on the tongue while kneeling.  This is the way it has always been, until very recently, and that is the way it should always be.PopeBenedictCommunion1

First, I’ll give the writer’s words.  Then, I’ll counter them with the words of the Church.

Bean’s article can be summed up by the following quote from her article:

I have always received the Eucharist on the tongue…This is not something I usually get all political or righteous about. I understand that many devout people hold different opinions on this topic and that “good” Catholics are free to receive on the hand or on the tongue. For me, though, receiving on the tongue has always felt like the most appropriate way to recognize and respect Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.

But now I’m not so sure anymore.

While I still very much prefer to receive on the tongue, I am afraid that option is becoming a less reasonable choice for me. And, ironically, it’s becoming a less respectful way to receive the Eucharist.

At the Masses I attend, more often than not, I receive Communion from an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. These EMHCs, more often than not, have no idea what to do when a person presents herself to receive Communion on the tongue. I am not blaming them for this problem so much as whatever training they have received…I know I could “solve” this problem by only attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form where receiving on the tongue while kneeling is the norm. But that is just not a realistic option for me.

I could be stubborn and insist upon receiving on the tongue because I have a right to, even when the challenges it causes become a distraction to myself and others. But that doesn’t seem like something Christ would want me to do.

Communion in the Hand

The following is what the early Church Fathers thought concerning receiving Holy Communion in the Hand.

Pope St. Leo the Great (440-461), already in the fifth century, is an early witness of the traditional practice. In his comments on the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, he speaks of Communion in the mouth as the current usage: “One receives in the mouth what one believes by faith.” (Serm.91.3) Furthermore, in the ninth century the Roman Ordo clearly shows that Communion on the tongue was the manner of reception. The oft-quoted reference of St. Cyril of Jerusalem is quite suspect, because what follows his famous quote is odd, superstitious, and even irreverent to Catholic thought. This has led scholars to question the authenticity of the text, that perhaps the saint’s successor was really responsible for this odd statement, the Patriarch John, who succeeded St. Cyril. But this John was of suspect orthodoxy, which we know from the correspondence of St. Epiphanius, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine. So if the quote is genuine, it most likely is attributed to the Nestorian Patriarch John, which would explain the oddity of the text. The fact that St. Cyril is quoted to the exclusion of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope St. Sixtus I, the Council of Trent, and centuries of Church tradition, is a prime example of the historical revisionism and dumbing-down of the modernists. Just a sampling of reliable historical evidence is enough to demonstrate the consistent position of the Church regarding Communion in the hand:  Princess Grace Kelly receives Holy Communion

Pope St. Sixtus I ( 115-125): “it is prohibited for the faithful to even touch the sacred vessels, or receive in the hand”;

Origen (185-232 A.D.): “You who are wont to assist at the divine Mysteries, know how, when you receive the body of the Lord, you take reverent care, lest any particle of it should fall to the ground and a portion of the consecrated gift (consecrati muneris) escape you. You consider it a crime, and rightly so, if any particle thereof fell down through negligence.” (13th Homily on Exodus);

St. Basil the Great (330-379), one of the four great Eastern Fathers, considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault (Letter 93);

The Council held at Saragozza (380), it was decided to punish with excommunication anyone who dared to continue the practice of Communion in the hand;

The local council at Rouen, France (650) stated, “Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywomen but only in their mouths”;

The Council of Constantinople (692) which was known as in trullo (not one of the ecumenical councils held there) prohibited the faithful from giving Communion to themselves. It decreed an excommunication of one week’s duration for those who would do so in the presence of a bishop, priest or deacon;

Council of Trent: “To omit nothing doctrinal on so important a subject, we now come to speak of the minister of the Sacrament, a point, however, on which scarcely anyone is ignorant. The pastor then will teach, that to priests alone has been given power to consecrate and administer the Holy Eucharist. That the unvarying practice of the Church has also been, that the faithful receive the Sacrament from the hand of the priest, and that the priest communicate himself, has been explained by the Council of Trent; and the same holy Council has shown that this practice is always to be scrupulously adhered to, stamped, as it is, with the authoritative impress of Apostolic tradition, and sanctioned by the illustrious example of our Lord himself, who, with His own hands, consecrated and gave to His disciples, His most sacred body. To consult as much as possible, for the dignity of this so August a Sacrament, not only is its administration confided exclusively to the priestly order; but the Church has also, by an express law, prohibited any but those who are consecrated to religion, unless in case of necessity, to touch the sacred vessels, the linen or other immediate necessaries for consecration. Priest and people may hence learn, what piety and holiness they should possess who consecrate, administer, or receive the Holy of Holies.” (Council of Trent, Session 13, Chapter 8 )St Jerome

Here are quote from more recent leaders in the Church on the same subject.

“There is an apostolic letter on the existence of a special valid permission for this [Communion in the hand]. But I tell you that I am not in favor of this practice, nor do I recommend it.” – His Holiness Pope John Paul II, responding to a reporter from Stimme des glaubens magazine, during his visit to Fulda (Germany) in November 1980.

Holy Communion received on the tongue “signifies the reverence of the faithful for the Eucharist … provides that Holy Communion will be distributed with due reverence … is more conducive to faith, reverence and humility…. It [Communion in the hand] carries certain dangers with it which may arise from the new manner of administering holy Communion: the danger of a loss of reverence for the August sacrament of the altar, of profanation, of adulterating the true doctrine.” – Pope Paul VI in his instruction Memoriale Domini (May 29, 1969)

“Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.” – As reported by Fr. George Rutler in his 1989 Good Friday sermon at St. Agnes Church, New York. When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by Fr. Rutler, “What do you think is the worst problem in the world today?” without pausing a second she gave the above reply. She stated that to her knowledge, all of her sisters receive  Communion only on the tongue.

“Behind Communion in the hand—I wish to repeat and make as plain as I can—is a weakening, a conscious, deliberate weakening of faith in the Real Presence…. Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.” – Fr. Hardon, S.J., November 1st, 1997 Call to Holiness Conference in Detroit, Michigan, panel discussion.

“There can be no doubt that Communion in the hand is an expression of the trend towards desacralization in the Church in general and irreverence in approaching the Eucharist in particular…. Why—for God’s sake—should Communion in the hand be introduced into our churches when it is evidently detrimental from a pastoral viewpoint, when it certainly does not increase our reverence, and when it exposes the Eucharist to the most terrible diabolical abuses? There are really no serious arguments for Communion in the hand. But there are the most gravely serious kinds of arguments against it.”  – Dietrich von Hildebrand (called a “20th century doctor of the Church” by Pope Pius XII), in an article entitled “Communion in the Hand should be Rejected,” November 8, 1973.

Cardinal Ratzinger gives PopeJohn Paul Holy Communion “With Communion in the hand, a miracle would be required during each distribution of Communion to avoid some Particles from falling to the ground or remaining in the hand of the faithful…. Let us speak clearly: whoever receives Communion in the mouth not only follows exactly the tradition handed down but also the wish expressed by the last Popes and thus avoids placing himself in the occasion of committing a sin by negligently dropping a fragment of the Body of Christ.” – Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise of San Luis, Argentina in his book Communion in the Hand: Documents and History.

Keep your eyes open for part 2.

Posted in Church Fathers, Holy Communion, Mass, Orthodox, Pope Benedict XVI, Priest, Priest, Roman Catholic | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Silent Night, Holy Night – a Christmas Story

Posted on December 25, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

I wrote this story about 5 to 6 years ago and thought I’d share it with my readers.  Enjoy. 

By John Paul Wohlscheid

Prologue

    “What good is Christmas???  Why must we have it?  It seems like an unbearable holiday.  The main reason for having Christmas seems to be so that you must spend much of your savings on presents for your friends and relatives.  The value of the presents I received never even remotely amounts to the amount I spend on presents.  What good is it?

    “Christmas is the time of year when we must invite over the relatives we dislike the most so that they can gorge themselves on the expensive meal prepared by a person’s family.  Christmas is such a waste of both time and money.”  So read the diary entry of Adrian Norton for December 23.

Chapter 1 – The Ride

    Adrian Norton was like any other boy his age, so full of questions.  The question that this new teenager wanted answered was “What good is Christmas?”  Everyone answered that it was the season of giving, the season of joy.  But joy for what and for whom?

    It was this question that Adrian posed to his dad at the dinner table o the eve of December 22.

    His father sat thinking for several minutes before answering.  However, before he could answer, Adrian’s little brother, Sherman piped up, “Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Stupid.”

    “Oh, thanks a lot, Ugly,” said Adrian angrily.  He wanted to hear his father’s answer, not his know-it-all baby brother’s answer.  His little rat-fink of a brother stuck his tongue out.

    “All right, you two,” commanded their father.  Then he turned his attention back to Adrian.  “Son,” he began, “the reason we celebrate Christmas is to remember the birth of our Savior.  We celebrate the fact that He came down to earth to free us from sin.”

    “Where does Santa Claus come in,” demanded Adrian.  He was not one to get sentimental about anything.  He thought of himself as a tough guy who had a dry eye when everyone else cried during a sad movie

    “Santa Claus brings gifts to all good boys and girls to celebrate Christmas,” replied Adrian’s mother.  “You see, even Santa Claus celebrates Christmas.  He prepares all year for it.”

    Adrian gave his mother a smile that said he did not believe a word she had said.  He knew full well that his parents, not Santa Claus had given him most of his presents.

        That night as Adrian lay on the bottom bed of the bunk beds he and his brother shared, his mind turned to the dinner conversation.  To tell the truth he was not entirely sure that there wasn’t a Santa Claus.  Sure, some the presents supposedly from Santa Claus had his parents handwriting on the tag, but a few always had a strange handwriting.  His father mixed both printing and cursive when he wrote and his mother used a rather square letters, but some of the tags were written with long, bold cursive.  Was it possible that there was a Santa Claus?

    Adrian lay for several minutes trying to determine the best method to see if there was a Santa Claus.  Then, the answer came to him in a flash.  “I’ll hide in the living room tomorrow night when everyone is asleep.”  He smiled, if there was a Santa he would be the one to tell Adrian about Christmas.

     The next day passed with a whiz as Adrian went to school, did his homework, and wrapped the few presents he had dutifully bought.  The dinner conversation concerned the preparations for the Christmas Day meal.  Adrian’s parents seemed to think that their explanations to Adrian had been sufficient.  All during the rest of the evening, Adrian was in a state of anxious excitement.  His parent’s attributed it to the fact that is was Christmas Eve.

     That night Adrian lay in his bed asleep, an alarm clock under his pillow.  Promptly at 11:30, the alarm started to ring.  Immediately Adrian’s hand went under the pillow to silence it.  He knew that even if the alarm rang from now until doomsday his brother would never hear it.

    Adrian lay there quietly for several minutes.  He wanted to make sure no one else was up.  The only sound that he could hear was the soft breathing from the bunk overhead and loud snoring coming from his parents’ room.  Confident that no one else was awake; Adrian climbed out of bed and put on his clothes.  He did not think it would be proper for Santa Claus to see him in his pajamas.

    Within minutes Adrian was dressed and standing in the living room.  He inspected the tags of the presents that surrounded the bright Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the living room.  There were several presents from Santa Claus with his parents’ handwriting, but none with the strange handwriting.

    The family’s fireplace sat in the west wall of the living room, facing the decorated spruce.  Adrian took up position in a corner between his father’s La-Z-Boy and the family couch.  Here he sat waiting for Santa to appear.

    For a while it seemed as though nothing would happen.  Adrian was beginning to wonder if Santa was coming.  The silence was deafening.

    Suddenly, there was a noise.  It started out softly and far away.  Then, then it came closer and swelled in volume.  Adrian strained his ears and searched his memory to see if he could recognize the sound.  He could; it was the sound of sleigh bells.

    Minutes later the bells reached their peak volume and then stopped.  Adrian was overcome with the fear that Santa had passed his house by.  Then, there was a noise at the chimney and before Adrian could blink there stood a jolly, fat man with white hair and a red suit.  Santa Claus!

Chapter 2 – The Adventure

    In front of the Norton’s fireplace there stood Santa Claus with a large, brown, canvas sack at his feet, overflowing with brightly wrapped boxes.  Santa stood stretching for several minutes and then hurriedly, as if to make up for lost time, took packages out of his bag and added them to the pile already under the tree.  While he was working, Adrian had made his way, as quiet as a mouse, until he was standing next to Santa.

    When Santa Claus paused to rest and wipe his brow, Adrian tapped on his shoulder.  Santa whirled around with a start, but not as pronounced as Adrian had expected.  He realized he probably was not the first child to catch Santa in the act.

    Santa was everything Adrian had expected, and more.  Santa was dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fir.  A red cap of the same material and design was seated upon his snowy white head.  A black belt encircled his waist, black boots covered his feet, and red mittens kept his hands warm.  A bright smile was framed by his white beard.

    “Hi there,” said Santa softly.  “Is there anything I can do for you?”

    Adrian was too stunned to answer right away.  Finally, he blurted out, “I want you to tell me the meaning of Christmas.”

   Santa put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment.  Then he said, “I have an idea.  What if I took you to my North Pole workshop?  You see I need to drop off presents to quite a few more children before they wake up.”

    Now it was Adrian’s turn to think it over.  “Will I be home before by family misses me?” he asked.

    “They won’t even know you were gone,” Santa assured him with a grandfatherly smile and a twinkle in his eye.

    “Okay,” said Adrian, “let’s go.”

      The time passed quickly for Adrian as he flew through the night with Santa.  The sleigh was large, painted red, and was pulled through the night sky by a team of eight reindeer, the leader having a red nose.  Before they had taken off, Santa had wrapped Adrian in a sealskin coat to keep him from freezing.  There was a large, brown canvas sack in the back of the sleigh that yielded what seemed like an unlimited amount of toys.

    Finally after Santa had made his deliveries to different parts of the world, he turned the sleigh north.  In less time than it takes to tell, the sleigh had reached the North Pole.  Adrian was puzzled as he looked over the barren landscape.  There was absolutely no place for the sleigh and reindeer to land.  He had seen paintings of what Santa’s workshop was supposed to look like.  There was nothing on the North Pole except mountains of snow, ice and rock.  The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was a large pole that extended from the ground.

    Adrian turned to Santa and raised his open palms as if to ask, “Where?”  Santa chuckled and pointed ahead.  Adrian took a look and noticed that the sleigh was angling towards the ice below.  He looked back to Santa with astonishment.  Santa just smiled and pointed again.  Adrian took another look and saw something he hadn’t seen the first time.  A large chunk of ice was sliding back and lights were blinking around the edges.

    Down they went, sleigh, reindeer, and all into the hole.  Adrian closed his eyes and tensed as they neared, fearing a crash.  There was a whoosh as they passed through the hole in the ice.  Adrian reopened his eyes and was amazed to be flying through a tunnel of colorful lights.  As they neared the end of the tunnel, the sleigh had slowed down quite a bit and was gliding along the ice floor.

    As they came out of the end of the tunnel, the reindeer stopped as they had many times before.  Adrian looked around and found himself in a large brightly lit room with many colorful lights.  Santa spread his arms wide and said, “Welcome to my underground workshop.”

Chapter 3 – Explanations

    As Santa helped Adrian out of the sleigh a large crowd of children surrounded them.  Santa introduced the children to Adrian as his “helpers”.  He also told the children that Adrian was just visiting.

    As Santa led the way towards a door framed by Christmas lights, Adrian turned to see a group of adults join the children as they unhooked the reindeer.  Santa turned and followed Adrian’s line of sight.  Then he chuckled.

    When Adrian turned back to Santa with questions in his eyes, Santa explained, “Those are all people who have come to help me in my work.”

    “I thought that you had little elves?” questioned Adrian.

    “Not really,” replied Santa Claus.  “You see, most of the people came here as children or young people.  Some were picked for this job, while others visited and had no reason to return.  They have families here and the children help whenever they can.”  Santa turned a corner and stepped into an open elevator.  As the doors closed, Santa pressed the button marked “HQ”.  Up shot the elevator.

    When the elevator opened, Adrian found himself staring with wonderment.  The room he stepped into was full of computer screens and people manning them.

    “This is the command center,” said Santa as he walked up to the computer that sat in the middle of the room.  It was staffed by a short young man with black curly hair, who turned in his swivel chair as Santa approached.

    “Hi, there, Big Red,” he greeted.  “I see that this year you were only five minutes behind last year’s record.”  Then he seemed to notice Adrian.  “Hi, kid,” he said.

    Adrian wrinkled his nose at this.  He was thirteen now, a teenager, not a kid.

    “Ben, this is Adrian Norton,” Santa introduced.

    “Norton, Adrian,” repeated Ben as he turned back to his computer screen.  His fingers flew over the keyboard as typed in Adrian’s name.  Seconds later, his entire history appeared on the screen.

    “Let’s see,” said Ben as he started to read.  “Age: 13 ½ years old, grade: 8th.  He has a history of fighting with his brother, which is not uncommon for someone his age.  Good grades…”

    “Where did you get all that information about me?” Adrian interrupted.

    “From your guardian angel,” replied Ben without looking up from the screen.  Adrian looked at Santa’s face to see if he was joking.  Santa’s face was a solemn as a judge’s.

    “It’s true,” he replied.  “Each person has a guardian angel who gives us regular updates.  For every deed points are given or taken away, depending on what sort of deed it is.  The total by Christmas determines whether that person is ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’.”

    Adrian opened his mouth to say something, but before he could one of the other computer operators cried, “I’ve got an overhead radar scan coming this way.”

    “Get the radio pole in,” Ben shouted back as he focused on a window on his screen that showed the sweeps of a ground search radar.  Several of the technicians started flipping switches immediately.  There was a loud groan and a creaking sound.

    “What’s that?” cried Adrian in alarm.

    “Oh, that’s just our radio antenna that the guardian angels from all over the world use to report in,” replied Santa.  “Isn’t that right, Ben?”  But Ben was too busy reading Adrian’s file.

    “Ah, Santa, you might want to read this,” said Ben quietly as he pointed to the screen.  Adrian leaned over and started to read as well.  It was his diary entry from the night before.  He immediately felt embarrassed.

    Santa read for several minutes, then said, “Adrian, let me show you something.”  Santa quietly led the way out of the control room and down another hallway.  Stopping in front of a door marked “Private”, Santa turned the knob and stepped in.

    The room that Adrian followed him into was Santa’s private office.  On one side of the room there was a fireplace and several chairs. On the right, there was an oaken business desk.  But, in the middle of the room there stood a Christmas tree with a large Nativity scene underneath it.  It was in front of this Christmas scene that Santa knelt and removed his cap.  Adrian quickly followed suit.

    Santa looked lovingly at the scene and said softly, “See that Child in the manger?”  Adrian nodded.  “Well, that Child is the reason for the season.  It was that Son of God, who was born; became Man; and died for our sins.  He died so that you and I maybe free.  It was quite something for God to humble Himself to become a man.  But he loved us so much, that He was willing to do anything to save us.”  They were silent for several minutes.  Then, Adrian looked at Santa’s face.  To his great surprise, he saw a tear roll down Santa’s cheek as he gazed at the Nativity scene.

    Then Santa bowed his head and rose to his feet.  He turned to Adrian and smiled through his tears.  “Would you like some cocoa?”

    Adrian sat across from Santa in front of Santa’s fireplace with a steaming cup of hot cocoa in his hand.  But he was more interested in some explanations than in the steaming liquid.  Santa knew that look he had seen it many times before.

    He smiled as he took a sip of his cocoa and set it on the small table next to him.  “Adrian, you’re probably wondering about me.  Well, I’m Santa number 1,259.  You see thousands of years ago, Saint Nicholas was the first Santa Claus.  But when God took him to Heaven, He picked another man to be Santa.  God always picked men who were generous givers and he blessed them with good, jolly temperaments.  I’ve been Santa for about fifty years,” said Santa as he looked down at his hands for several minutes.

    He continued, “Our job as Santa is to bring joy to all people, no matter what race, religion, or color.  It is the season during which we can help those less fortunate than ourselves.  The reason that your folks invite people that you don’t like is so that they can share in your joy at Our Lord’s birth.  Do you have any questions?”

    Now it was Adrian’s turn to study his hands.  He never realized before that Christmas meant so much to so many people.  He was saddened when he remembered what he had written in his diary.

    “I think I understand everything now, Santa,” he replied slowly.  A smile warmed Santa’s features.

    “I hope you’ll forgive me for what I might have thought or said.  I hope He forgives me,” Adrian said as he turned to look at the Nativity scene.

    “I’m sure He already has,” said Santa softly.  There was silence, and then the clock on the mantelpiece started to chime, softly.  Santa looked up and said, “We’d better get you home.

Chapter 4 – The Reminder

    The flight back to Adrian’s house was faster than the trip from it.  Santa made sure that Adrian was safely in bed before he left.  It seemed that as soon as he had closed his eyes, Adrian’s brother was jumping on him.

    “Get up, Adrian.  It’s Christmas morning.”  Adrian unwillingly sat up and put on his robe.  When he entered the living room he found it the same as he had left it.  His brother was tearing open his presents as fast as he could.  Adrian walked over to the tree wondering if everything he remembered had just been a dream.

    Adrian’s mother picked up a large package wrapped in red and white paper.  The tag said “From: Santa, To: Adrian.”  She showed it to her husband, the both shrugged their shoulders.  Neither remembered wrapping this present.

    “Here’s one for you, Adrian,” smiled his mother as she handed the package to him.  “Merry Christmas.”  Adrian managed a weak smile in return.

SantaCrib     He took the package and unwrapped it.  He opened the box and looked inside.  Then, tears started to form at the corners of his eyes.  His parents came over in alarm as Adrian set out the contents of the box.  It was a good sized Nativity scene with four men kneeling before the Child Jesus.  Two were shepherds, one was a prince, and the fourth was a Santa Claus with his head bowed and uncovered.

    Adrian’s parents were definitely sure that this was not from either one of them.  But where had it come from?

    To Adrian it meant that he had not dreamt his talk with Santa.

Merry Christmas.

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