CHRISTMAS GREETING 2000
Colorado Winter Scene
Peace on Earth
The Christmas season of 1999 was spent in Italy.
It was a whirlwind of wonderful holiday images.
Venice dressed in her finest decorations, and filled with gifts of every sort. Bright Christmas lights were strung from the bridges, and throughout the streets. A small market was set up in one of the squares.
Christmas Eve delivered a wonderful dinner
then Midnight Mass at
the Duomo in Florence. We were lost in the masses of people that attended, the
huge church was packed with worshipers of all sorts. It was cold, and everyone
kept their winter jackets on. There was the smell of mothballs from the women's
furs, and incense from the altar, which drifted through the cathedral in waves. The service ended right
in front of us, as the baby Jesus was delivered to his cradle in the
manger. It was an impressive ceremony, and was very moving to be a part of.
Christmas morning was cold and rainy, we had a coffee, and wandered the empty
streets. We happened upon a Christmas morning Mass in a small baroque church. It
was a grand church with a very small congregation. It was quite beautiful in
it's intimacy, and a great contrast to the huge crowds of the night before.
In each church on our journey I lit a candle. It felt comforting, and connected me with the hundreds of generations that had performed this simple ceremony of faith and worship. It made me feel a connection with Christmas past, and the comfort that my feelings and concerns on that Christmas night had been shared by many others throughout the continuum of time.
My fondest wishes to all my friends, peace on Earth
Dana Morris
Links to some of the wonderful sites of Italy