My Calendar
18/12/2020
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights
10/12/2020 – 18/12/2020
Hanukkah is a festival of 8 nights and days marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Empire of Seleucid way back in 165 BCE.
Here's a brief summary:
And this is a contemporary re-interpretation of the Festival!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for the many victories
won by light over darkness
expressed by faiths around the world.
We pray that we might all be part of the ultimate victory
when the darkness of injustice and hate
will be forever dispelled
by the desire for justice and capacity for love
which reside in the hearts of all humanity.
AMEN
Arabic Language Day
18/12/2020
It's World Arabic Language Day when the international community takes a moment to appreciate Arabic and its contributions to humanity. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used daily by more than 290 million people.
World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December since 2012. The date coincides with the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization. Maybe you could work out the other 5! (Answers below)
The Arabic language has given rise to developments in architecture, poetry, philosophy and song. It gives access to an incredible variety of identities and beliefs and its history reveals the richness of its links with other languages. Arabic has played an important role in passing on the knowledge of Greek and Roman sciences and philosophies to Renaissance Europe. Arabic numerals form the basis of mathematics
Classical Arabic is the liturgical (prayer) language of 1.8 BILLION followers of Islam!
Here are some English words which have come to us from Arabic:
- in the abode of animals and birds: albatross (al-qadus), camel (jamal), gazelle (ghazal), giraffe (zarafah), jerboa (yarbu), monkey (maymum), nacre (naqqarah), popinjay (babbagha’), and tuna (tun);
- in the area of food and drink: alcohol (al-kuhl), apricot (al-barquq), banana (banan), caramel (qanah), cafe (qahwah), jasmine (yasmin), lemon, lemonade and lime (laymun), mocha (mukha – port city in Yemen), orange (naranj) sugar (sukkar – borrowed by nearly every language in Europe) and tuna (tun);
- In the sphere of geography and navigation: admiral (amir al-bahr), canal (qanah), monsoon (mawsim), safari (safarah)
- in home and daily life: cable (habl), genius (jinn), hazard (al-zahr), jar (jarrah) and sofa (suffah);
- in music and song: guitar (qitar) and troubadour (tarab al-dar);
- in crime (magbarah): assassin (hashashin), mafia (mu’afi) and massacre (maslakh);
- in personal adornment: amber (‘anbar), cameo (chumahan), henna (hinna’), mask and mascara (maskharah) and sequin (sikkah);
- in science and mathematics: almanac (al-manakh), alchemy (al-kimiya’), algebra (al-jabr), average (‘awar), calibre (qalib), carat (qirat), chemistry (al-kimiya’) and both cipher and zero (sifr);
- in the arena of sports: racket (rah) and tennis (tinnis);
- in trade and commerce: cafe (qahwah), cheque (sakk), magazine (makhzan), ream (rizmah), traffic (tafriq) and tariff (ta’rifah).
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we give thanks for Arabic language and culture.
Help us to use their richness to inspire us
to communicate ideas and develop understanding,
building bridges between people.
AMEN
So, the other official languages of the UN are: French, English, Russian Chinese and Spanish
International Migrants Day
18/12/2020
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Jesus, born into a migrant family, help us:
to embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister,
to welcome migrants and refugees with joy and openness,
to respond to their needs with generosity,
to give witness to your love for all people as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.
AMEN