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One and a half minute trailer for the new video study series from Ascension Pres...
One and a half minute trailer for the new video study series from Ascension Pres...
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In this 15 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell, host of the Sonrise Morning show, asks Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka “Dr. Italy”) about the o...
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28 November, 2016Most Americans tend to think of religion as something rather fluid. It’s very common for us to say things like “all religions are basicall...
12 February, 2016Hanukkah, which always occurs during the Christian seasons of Advent and Christmas, has a significance not only for Jews but for Christians and all lovers of religious freedom. The history of Chanukah dates back to the Maccabees, two centuries before Christ.
Hanukkah, it is true, is not one of the greatest feasts of ancient Israel. But neither is it a mere political celebration.
In the second century BC, there was a concerted attempt not to wipe out the Jewish people bodily (unlike Hitler), but to destroy it spiritually by enticing Jews to renounce their religious traditions and embrace the paganism of their Greek rulers. The Temple of Jerusalem was desecrated with pagan statues and those refusing to eat pork were brutally tortured. Due to the heroic resistance of the Maccabee family and the faithfulness of God to His people, the Jewish people won freedom and the Temple was purified and re-dedicated. I think that is something worth celebrating!
The story can be found in the first and second book of Maccabees which is in the Catholic bible and in the Protestant Apocrypha. My kids have been riveted to these stories and we read them annually. The early Christian martyrs found them a tremendous inspiration as they struggled to hold their ground against the brutal persecutions of the pagan Roman Emperors.
In other words, Hanukkah commemorates an event that should be remembered by anyone who honors God and/or believes in religious liberty. Greater respect for Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays would not only be good for Jews, but for society as a whole.
Pope Pius XI, in the face of Nazi anti-Semitism in the 1930’s, said, speaking of Christians, “spiritually, we are all Semites!”
Hannukah 2017 will begin at sundown, Tuesday, December 12 and conclude at sundown, Wednesday, December 20.
Banner/featured image by Alex Ringer on FreeImages. Public domain.
From a colorful and varied background as a professor of theology, a father of five, business owner, and professional performer Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka “Dr. Italy”) crafts talks, blog posts, books, and videos that are always fascinating, practical, and easy to understand. He is a popular speaker, TV and radio personality, New York Times best-selling author, and pilgrimage host who has been leading people on a journey of discovery for over thirty years. For a fuller bio and video, visit the Dr. Italy page. For a full Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Dr. Italy, click here.
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