Happy Hanukkah!

52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year, 53 they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. 54 At the very season and on the very day that the nations had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. 55 All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed heaven, who had prospered them. 56 So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering. 57 They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests and fitted them with doors. 58 There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the nations was removed.

59 Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.


Source:

1 Maccabees 4:52-59, NRSVUE 

Arango's Apologetics Page: On Enoch

In this post I am simply sharing something published back in September on Arango's Apologetics Page. Blessings and just click on the link below!

Arango's Apologetics Page: On Enoch

Reference:

https://arangoapologeticspage.blogspot.com/2025/09/on-enoch.html?m=0

 

Birth and Death

Around 385,000 babies are born daily.

Deaths per day are around 172,000.

Sources:

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/deaths-per-day

https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/how-many-babies-are-born-each-day

Are we ready for faith?

Now faith is the assurance (reality) of things hoped for, the conviction (evidence) of things not seen....

- Epistle to the Hebrews

Personal note: can we imagine that?

When praying

Concerning Prayer

5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[a]

7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

    may your name be revered as holy.

10     May your kingdom come.

    May your will be done

        on earth as it is in heaven.

11     Give us today our daily bread.[b]

12     And forgive us our debts,

        as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13     And do not bring us to the time of trial,[c]

        but rescue us from the evil one.[d]

14 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

 

Read full chapter

 

Footnotes

a.           6.6 Other ancient authorities add openly

b.            6.11 Or our bread for tomorrow

c.            6.13 Or us into testing

d.           6.13 Or from evil. Other ancient authorities add, in some form, For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A5-14&version=NRSVUE

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

Legacy?

Since I was a child, I have heard the word legacy tossed about here and there. I have personally known people who have said they would like to leave a name for themselves when they pass away. Of course, I don’t recall ever challenging the idea, but it did and does make me question why? I have always wondered how they would even follow up on whether they are remembered or not. I suppose the only ones who could confirm this question are those who have already passed on.

This post is basically a meditation on this idea of leaving a legacy. I will keep it brief and share a couple of scriptures with relevance to perhaps make a case for the idea. The first verse is the following from Genesis 6:4, NRSVUE.

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.

My question here is who were these “heroes that were of old” that existed before the flood of Noah? It seems we don't know their names. Or perhaps we don't have the manuscript which contained their names. We only know about Noah and his family from the same chapter. We don’t really have a specific timeline in the scriptures that even tells us when the flood took place. Perhaps it was ten thousand years ago, or twenty thousand years. We just don’t know. We do not know the names of many people who have lived and died on our planet who came before us.

Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible Ketuvim (Writings) contain a verse that relates to the subject in this post, which perhaps answer the questions I have brought forth. Ecclesiastes 1:11, NRSVUE, reads as follows:

The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.

I don’t know if the foregoing verse answers any questions you may have with relevance to leaving a legacy and making a name for oneself. The verse, however, does answer my questions. Perhaps one can establish a huge presence in the present moment in time, and for a while after one is gone, but eventually there will be no lasting memory. Leaving a legacy? Good luck with that!

Excerpt from Ephesians 6

...for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

- Saint Paul 

Reference:

NRSVUE