By DARRYL TIPPENS “It is important to remember the deep, in some ways anguished seriousness of Advent.”—Thomas Merton, Seasons of Celebrations A friend of mine endured a hair-raising escape from Tehran, Iran, one night in 1979. As the city fell to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Yasmin (let us call her) received an urgent call from the American embassy telling her
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By JIM NICHOLS At a holiday time it is a question asked innocently. “Will you be traveling to see family?” I asked my young friend and there was a pause that made me realize that might not have been a good question. His response was, “On the first day I’ll be with my mother and family in one city and
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By LORETTA FULTON It’s official! The 2022 Christmas season is underway, with concert music, light displays, Living Nativity scenes, opera, a Christmas parade, and more festivities. Following is a partial list of upcoming Christmas events. To add to the list, send information to editor@spiritofabilene.com ABILENE COMMUNITY BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERTThe Abilene Community Band will present its Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m.
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON While Christmastime means a time of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, it is in Love that we find the true meaning of the night so many centuries ago. The glow in the lighting of the “Candle of Love” should be a reminder of how much God loves us. We rejoice at the birth of the baby Jesus,
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“Exposition of Sacred Relics: Treasures of the Church” will come to Holy Family Catholic Church on Friday, Dec. 16. The church, located at 5410 Buffalo Gap Road, will be open at 6:30 p.m. for visitors to view the relics. For more information on the relics, go to http://www.treasuresofthechurch.com Father Carlos Martins, a Vatican-appointed expert on relics, will discuss the Vatican
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Las Posadas, a beautiful and fun Christmas observance, will be held nightly Dec. 15-23, sponsored by St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church. At least three of the observances, on Dec. 15, 16, and 19, will be held at the church, 2525 Westview Drive. Others will either be at the church or at private homes, said Monica Mayes-Leija, church secretary. “Posada” is
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Chanukkah or Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, will be observed this year beginning the evening of Dec. 18 and ending the evening of Dec. 26. Locally, a dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at Temple Mizpah, 849 Chestnut St. Tickets for the dinner are $5 and reservations are required by Dec. 14. Those interested in attending can
Read moreBy MARIANNE WOOD The English language is full of homophones: words that sound the same but have different meanings. Every time I meet someone new to our language, even young children, I greatly sympathize with them as they work through many challenges to obtain fluency. Among my favorite homophones are “presents” and “presence.” They contain a notable commonality: a gift.
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By JIM NICHOLS It was a magical machine from my youth. Through the glass top one could see a hundred records lined up in parallel. Each 45-rpm disc was in a position that matched a number in a keyboard. Following the insertion of a dime (three plays for a quarter), you would push a letter and number combination (“A 8”)
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