Caught the Spirit of the Suwannee

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Magnolia Music Festival, held at the "Spirit of the Suwannee" state music park. It couldn't have been a more heavenly day - clear blue skies, temperature in the mid 70s, dropping to the mid 60s at night. Like much of northern Florida, the park hosts many live oak trees with Spanish moss - and probably not coincidentally the park itself is actually situated in the city of Live Oak, FL.

There were more than 30 bands on hand on four different stages, with bluegrass as the predominant style of music, but not the only style of music. My favorite band, Scythian, is an Irish/Celtic band with a modern edge. Then there was Tornado Rider, whose lead singer plays an electric cello as if it were an electric guitar. He also likes to climb things. What a storm of songs he took us through! Almost all had to do with animals (songs about hyenas, falcons, and even dinosaurs!) And Donna the Buffalo topped things off late at night with some classic bluegrass grooves .

Throughout this great day of music, however, I couldn't help but notice some of the religious undertones to much of the music. And the crowd didn't necessarily appear to be your typical church-going folk.

I am a fan of Seth Walker's blues - this is now the third time I've seen him in northern Florida in the past two years (despite the fact he's from Austin, TX). Like many bluesmen, his lyrics and sound sometimes seem to morph into gospel at times. This is particularly the case in the song "Lay Down (River of Faith)" on his new "Leap of Faith" album. I found a video clip of him performing the song from another show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgLtn04g354&feature=related

The lyrics begin... "Lay down my soul....my soul....I got to lay down...and fly right through heaven's gate...through heaven's gate...I got to lay down."

He played his Saturday afternoon set on the Meadow stage, only a few hundred feet away from the legendary Suwannee River. The lyrics in his song continued, "I'm washing off my hands in the sanctifying water...I'm washing off my hands in the river of faith." As he evoked these words, I felt I needed to go take in a view of the Suwannee River after his set, as water is both purifying and magnificent, especially the great Suwannee River.

Seth's gospel-like blues continued in his lyrics, "Darkness came over me...it came over me...I got to lay down. The devil put tempt in me, put tempt in me...I got to lay it down...What's buried inside of me...inside of me...and I got to lay it all down. Worship a higher love...a higher love...and I got to lay all it down."

Lay it down we must.

Later in the evening just as the sun was setting,, Scythian took the Meadow stage. I have seen them more than a dozen times and know them well. Two of the musicians in the band, Dan and Alex Fedoryka are sons of Ukranian Catholics. There are always good strong messages in most of their songs - from songs of courage like "I Will Go" to adventurous songs such as the "Gypsy Fiddle." They have even made the accordion sexy again with the hip "technocorrdion" song. However, they chose to close with a new song, called "Santa Maria." And I found a video link to them playing this song earlier this month at the Catholic school that Dan graduated from, Franciscan University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPul0XIRxBw

The lyrics feature a fast, repetitive chorus, "Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Santa Maria... save our souls." It was fantastic and beautiful at the same time. The message of the song was to ask "Santa Maria" (St. Mary) for guidance in seeking salvation. And as my friend Heather said, Scythian is not just a great band, but they play with such "joy." Indeed. I've always described them as simply a "fun" band. It's impossible not to have fun at a Scythian show - and nearly impossible not to dance.

Speaking of dancing, we saw a lot of dancing among many of the "hippies" and other folks who come to the "Spirit of the Suwannee" music park. It seems they are trying to get away from the regular lives and embrace a "hippie culture" once again. Some were dancing by themselves, some with others. And some were performing dancing moves I've never seen before (and wouldn't mind not seeing again). But dancing is also an expression of a longing within one self, and is usually done with music invokes something deeper within, perhaps towards something greater above - as Seth Walker might say, toward a "higher love." It almost looked like a religious experience for one man who we saw dancing out in the middle of the crowd.

The songs, dancing, and heavenly setting at the beautiful "Spirit of the Suwanee" state park had much of us catching the spirit indeed.

I will be posting pictures and possibly more commentary in the coming days. But, be sure to join us at the park for Springfest. Mark your calendars now for March 26-28. I think we'll be going for more than one day then and take in the camping experience as well. Then we will see bonfires, sunrises, and breakfast come into play as well.

Music, Tennis, and the Unseriousness of Human Affairs

The last two weeks have been incredible and has made me thankful for all the blessings God has continued to shower down on me. First, there is the gift of family and friends that I am always thankful for.

But, let me get a little "unserious" for a minute. And I say "unserious" because I am going to go from talking about God, His blessings, our gifts to... tennis and music. How serious is playing (or watching) tennis? Or playing or listening to music? Well, as a tennis player and a fan, and as one who is a fan of great music, the last two weeks have given me some further insight into how we each use our gifts and talents in creative ways.

We can't all be as great of tennis players as I witnessed at the 2009 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger. These guys were good. While I am sometimes playing tennis - in the heat of the competition - I often forget about all else that is going on in the world, even in my world. It just becomes about the competition of the sport, about perfecting your shots, about moving fast, and tracking down the shots your opponent is hitting back at you. When you hit a great forehand or a great serve, or a backhand you didn't know you had, you feel a sense of glory, as if all the practice and competition came together for that moment.

Then, you go watch some professional players at a tournament like the Tallahassee Challenger and you wonder what sport you thought you were playing. These guys are hitting some sick shots, and they are good. And, the field is LOADED with talent. There's not much of a difference between a guy ranked number 120 and a guy ranked in the 400s. A few points maybe. But they are out there working hard every day trying to get themselves better and trying to compete against the stacked competition. But what they give each of us fans back is a sense of INSPIRATION. I know I am never going to be THAT good (especially at this age), but watching their talent in action INSPIRES us to play on and dares us to dream that we can.

Speaking of a field loaded with talent - I spent the last two weekends listening to some great musicians perform on St. George Island. One weekend had a plethora of great, mostly young, bands at the Rock By The Sea (RBTS) charitable music festival. And this past weekend, one of those bands, the Sam Thacker band returned to perform two more times.

After watching four of their performances in 10 days, I kept thinking to myself, "why aren't these guys bigger yet? And why did I just find out about them?" I mean they're very talented. But then you come to realize there is so much talent out there in the music industry as well, and it's all going to be about what sells and what gets your attention. Like tennis players, they are competing in a field loaded with talent. And these days, its tougher than ever with all that "free" music out there.

But there is something more here - whether its Sam Thacker or some other musicians out there that I have yet to hear play, they are all offering their talents to the world and they are allowing us to partake in their creativity. What gives the artist his ability or his drive to "create"? What gives the tennis player the will to go on and perfect his game?

Well this makes me reflect back to Edmund Burke's phrase, "Art is man's nature." This first means that nature is where we see God's art, God's creation. Man was made in the image of God, and God was the first Creator. So all of us each have some drive inside of us to create something. We create and express ourselves through "art." It is the spark of the divine within us that gives us our ability and our drive to create.

And I would argue tennis, or any sport really, is an art in this sense. As Father Schall outlines in his book, On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs, we don't just create a sport, but we work to professionalize it, to perfect it. When you watch the NFL, it didn't start that way, so professionalized and nearly perfected. It started out with someone creating a weird looking ball, then throwing it around, the designing rules, uniforms, and then one day, it was professionalized.

When you look out on a beautiful beach like St. George Island, or up at the heavenly hosts that dot that landscape late at night, you see God's art - nature - staring back at you, aweing you. On a human level, we can be "awed" by each other's creation as well. Whether that is a song, a talented musician, a tennis player, or the spirit of competition, our drive to create goes on. And that drive to create and the creation itself are inspired by something greater. We all can't sing a song like Sam Thacker or hit a tennis ball like Jean-Yves Aubone, but we CAN be inspired by how they use their talents, how hard they work to perfect them, and then be inspired to join them and partake in creation.

After all, these are the "unserious" things that make us human and help us tap into something greater than ourselves. It is not in our work, in our economy, or in our politics that we find humanity. It is, as Father Schall says, in the "unseriousness" of human affairs.

Tallahassee Tea Party

I've been busy helping organize the first Tallahassee Tea Party, in response to the federal bailouts. So, sorry I've been slacking on my personal blog. But check out the Tallahasee Tea Party blog.

We had more than 225 people at the first Tallahassee Tea Party on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. It was a blast.

Oust Charlie Crist

This is the end of the line for me with Florida's Governor Charlie Crist. Although, there were plenty of other reasons not to like him or even consider voting for him again, this crosses the line. Crist will introduce President Barack Obama today in Fort Myers, Florida.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a Governor courteously welcoming a President to his home state. But the problem is - Crist supports Obama's massive socialist welfare spending bill. This bill will not only put us in debt, but it has spending for may liberal special interests. I hope today is the beginning of the end for Charlie Crist.

While Crist has been a "good Republican" on some issues: he favors government transparency (wait, so does Obama, right?) and he has refused to raise taxes and mostly supported many of the major spending cuts (though, he did veto some of the cuts Florida's conservative legislature passed during a special session on Florida's economy). He's also been pretty good on schoo choice (but not nearly as good as Jeb Bush, but who can be that good?) So, even on those issues, he's not as perfect as this conservative would like him to be.

But then things get far worse. Crist has imposed massive government regulation over the property insurance industry - a plan which has reduced competition and forced more Floridians to carry Citizens (the state's insurance company), hich will leave all of Florida's taxpayers on the hook should just one hurricane hit Florida.

And it gets worse. His Governor's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change is setting up to dole out oppressive government mandates and caps on carbon emissions. And now, he is at the trough begging for a stimulus from America's favorite socialist.

I announce a clarion call to all conservatives inside and outside of Florida: let's oust Crist from the Republican Party. Don't give him a platform. The only one he wants is the platform of popularity. Today, Governor Crist put his finger in the air and went where the wind carried him: to the same stage as Barack Obama, calling for the same massive socialist welfare spending program.

Never forget.

Republican Party will be Strong as Steele

Last week was a great week for the Republican Party, as no single member of the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the $850 billion spending bill (the one being touted as a "stimulus" package). They held the line and even brought over 9 Democrats with them. Their vote was bipartisan while the socialists who voted for the spending bill were completely partisan.

But a bigger point of elation for the Republican Party was when Michael Steele was picked to be the new RNC chair. He is exactly what the party needs and I've been saying for a while that the party needs to find a place for Michael Steele.

He is as conservative as they come and represents all the branches of conservatism - fiscal conservative, social conservative, and strong national defense. And he is a great communicator/defender of our ideas. And perhaps his being African-American will help him appeal to other segments of our society where conservatism has not always ventured into. But I also think the fact that he is from Maryland, which is a pivot point between the South and the Northeast, really works well regionally for the future of our party.

I campaigned for the Bob Ehrlich-Michael Steele ticket back in 2002, when I was a College Republican at the University of Maryland. I was a bit uncomfortable backing a pro-choice candidate like Bob Ehrlich, but everything else about him screamed conservatism, and in Maryland (a state where 2/3 of the population are registered Democrats) it is almost understandable why Ehrlich had to run as a pro-choice candidate for Governor. But not Michael Steele. He stood boldly pro-life. As Lt. Governor, he even attended pro-life candlelight vigils.

Unfortunately he lost a close election for the U.S. Senate in 2006. But since his departure from politics, he has done well as a TV commentator, even taking on the likes of Bill Maher from time to time. I met Steele several times in 2002 and 2004 and he was a real class act, very genuine about why he is in this race. And he is also a Catholic, which is even more appealing to me. It was back in 2002 that I learned that he had actually once entered seminary to become a priest. But apparently it was around that time that he met his future wife, and instead ventured into a career in law, and eventually politics, and found his true vocation.

Conservatives can take heart today. It is a great time to be a conservative, where we stand by our principles, despite the prevailing winds of opposition. And, with Michael Steele at the helm, conservatism will once again be "Strong as Steele!"

Tim Tebow Believes

No matter if you are a Florida Gator fan or not (and I'm not - although my brother did go to school there, so I did cheer for them to beat Oklahoma), you have to admire Tim Tebow. Some say, you just have to admire him because he's a "good guy." And I agree. But really, you just have to admire him all levels of what we've come to know about him.

If you watched the national championship game against Oklahoma, you saw something amazing. At some point during that game, Tim Tebow just decided he was going to win it. Yes, there may have been more than 100 other players on that field between the two top ranked teams in the nation, but there was one player on that field (some call him "Superman") that just took matters into his own hands. On some big third down plays in the second half, Tebow just took off for first downs. Anyone watching had to have the feeling that number 15 just "willed" his way towards first downs and touchdowns.

Stepping back from the high drama for a moment, we know it is a bit "easier" for Tebow, as this guy is a big dude. That strength allows him to do what he does best. While good genes helps, strength just doesn't land on a person. Rather, it takes hard work to get big, strong, and powerful. Physical and even mental preparation is a key ingredient in just about every sport or competition. But then, with Tebow there is more. He truly has the belief instilled in him that he is going to succeed.

Tebow gets this belief first and foremost from his Christian faith. He is not just one that reads the Bible and practices his faith in worship, but he also allows that faith to flow to other areas of his life - whether that is serving as a missionary in the Philippines, participating in prison fellowship programs, or serving the needy in his own community. He even uses his fame not to draw attention to himself, but to draw the attention towards a higher purpose.

On game days, Tebow often reminds his fans with a Bible passage written on his face paint: Philipians 4:13, which says, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Tim Tebow believes. He knows his ultimate strength - strength of spirit, mind, and character - comes to him from God. It is that firm faith that roots the heart and soul of this incredibly talented athlete who presses forward with the belief that we must all be grateful for the talents God has given us. Tim Tebow teaches us that when we put those talents to proper use, we can achieve great things - on and off the field.

In an era where many are cynical about the youth, particularly young men, Tim Tebow should give us all hope and perhaps lead us to the one God that gives us our true strength.

Real Change Requires Revolution - Website Launched!

Young Americans for Liberty just launched the Real Change Requires Revolution website.

Here's why:

On January 20, 2009... Campuses nationwide will declare that one day of Obama is enough. It's time for change.

America is suffering from unending war, growing debt, reckless monetary policies, and a depreciating economy. Our country desires a new direction and fresh ideas. Barack Obama brings a message of "hope" and "change" and understands the captivating power of words and appeal. His victory was historic, but it was not by chance. A well orchestrated plan executed by top marketers, Internet strategists, and campaign consultants put him in the White House. Americans demanded change, and he supplied an answer.

But, what is that answer? What is this so called change?

The mainstream media has extended its honeymoon with the new administration; even as scandals, bailouts, proposed federal works programs, a falling economy, and questionable cabinet appointments take place.

Many Americans say, "Give him a chance. He can fix our problems." But, why be fooled again?

Government is limited by the United States Constitution for a reason. Society is a responsibility of the people, not the government.

We already know the real Barack Obama. We know his cabinet appointments; we know his voting record; and we know his beliefs. He promises more foreign intervention, more socialism, more restrictions on our civil liberties, and a greater disregard for the Constitution. Rather than wait for another politician to disappoint the American people, let's stand up as patriots and say one day of Barack Obama is enough. It's time for real change.

Pro-Hamas Demonstration in Fort Lauderdale: The War is Here

Tom Trento recorded this video, which warns of the growing radical Islamic force in South Florida – the video is a recording of the pro-Hamas demonstrations in Ft. Lauderdale on December 30, 2008.

Don’t think this is happening only in the Middle East, Pakistan or in Paris or London and Holland. It is right here. The war has reached the homeland, including my hometown of Fort Lauderdale.

2008: My Year in Review

What a year it has been.

First, in January I moved to Tallahassee, Florida. What on God’s green earth would possess a Miami Hurricane fan to move to the land of the Florida State Seminoles? Well, I guess it was for liberty and to be a part of shaping the future of our sunshine state.

I joined The James Madison Institute, Florida’s premier free-market think tank. So far, the first year as Director of Development for JMI has been great! I have enjoyed my time there, including getting to know my great colleagues, and learning all about public policy issues that affect our state. And, I have continued to learn about the challenges of trying to preserve liberty when government continues to just want to grow! More government = less individual freedom. At JMI we realize we have to continue to provide solutions in the free-market to allow Floridians to continue to enjoy an environment that promotes individual freedom and personal responsibility.

As if my job didn’t keep me busy enough, me and two friends decided to write a book, Who is the Real Barack Obama? For the rising generation; by the rising generaton. The book was written for an audience of young voters and warning everyone that Barack Obama isn’t going to bring any real “change.” But it was more than just about Obama, it also is about what our generation can do to preserve liberty and continue this great experiement in self-government.

Despite our book, Obama did do a nice job taking the “brand” of “change” and committing himself to that brand. His sales job to America and his ability to fundraise using new online technologies and social mobilization has to make us all impressed. The GOP nominating an aging John McCain didn’t really help them much. But I was still surprised to see America elect an avowed socialist with little experience, with close ties to a radical preacher, a domestic terrorist, and other dubious associations. However, I’m not surprised by the associations that are continuing to haunt Obama (Blagojevich anyone?) and the fact that he isn’t bringing any real “change” to Washington – just more of the same – Washington D.C. insiders, mostly connected to the Clinton administration.

For a conservative like myself, this is actually welcome news. Obama isn’t taking the country as far to the Left as he has been throughout his entire lifetime (as we demonstrated clearly in the book). But, I still worry that he will creep us slowly to the Left without us realizing it. Obama is a smart politician, after all. He knows we live in a center-right country and America didn’t elect him because he is a socialist. They elected him because he promised not to be another George W. Bush.

After an embarassing election year, I worry most about the future of respectable journalism in this country.

Unfortunately, the Bush legacy and the Obama legacy may be one in the same – on foreign and economic issues, that is. As our economy waned, the so-called believer in free-markets, George W. Bush told America that the government needed to “bailout” Wall Street. This wouldn’t be the cure-all for the economy, but would help it, he said. Obama agreed. So did John McCain. Do we have any real leaders any more?

Some are now referring to this period as the “Bush-Obama bailout,” which seems to continue each week as the government decides to continue forking out billions (now trillions) of dollars to all sorts of industry, at taxpayer expense. We continue to mount the debt that may cause our nation’s own internal destruction. I continue to recommend this piece by JMI scholar and FSU economics professor Randall Holcombe: Government's Actions Encouraged Wall Street's Risky Business (pdf).

Thankfully, Bush’s commitment to Iraq has proved a success. Unfortunately for John McCain, as our troops succeeded, the war became less of an issue. And McCain himself told us that the economy wasn’t his strong suit (gaffe!). Obama continued to lie to the American people about who he is and what he really believes, and the American electorate bought the smart liar over the honest idiot. Either way, this election season proved that we need better leadership in this country and a better way to educate the electorate, who didn’t seem to know much about the candidates and the issues, and much less so about the role of government as articulated in the U.S. Constitution.

Ok, so back to my year in review: I traveled around Florida meeting lots of JMI members and seeing good friends and family. This is such a great, big, beautiful state. I was everywhere, from Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, Naples, Orlando, Gainesville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and of course Palm Beach.

I gave lectures about the Obama book at Arizona State, Florida State, the University of Georgia, and LSU. I even got to enjoy a good Georgia-Vanderbilt game in perhaps the best college town in America: Athens, GA. On average, 60 people attended each lecture, with about 80% or more of them being against Obama. The rest engaged me in some good civil dialogue on the issues. It was an enjoyable experience, as me and my co-authors appeared on various local and national radio programs and blogged incessantly on our book website trying to get the ideas out there.

I also traveled back to D.C. once this year, in April, for a conference and to visit some friends. I even ventured to Midland, Michigan for a conference at the Mackinac Center (the equivalent of The James Madison Institute in Michigan). While I lectured on the book and attended the State Policy Network’s conference in Scottsdale, AZ, I also spent some time with my good friend Teddy Sifert and his family, enjoying the heat of Arizona (even in September), shooting some guns in the mountainous forests of Arizona, and enjoying the great outdoors of the American frontier.

In Tallahassee, I made lots of great new friends, which I am grateful for… whether on the tennis court or in the church pews. I am part of a great young adult Catholic group in Tallahassee called the Frassati Society – we have some great adventures in the outdoors, including our recent hike in Florida's Torreya State Park, about an hour from Tallahassee.

Thanks to being back in the year-round warm weather of Florida, my tennis game has benefited from being able to play a couple times a week on a regular basis and finding good players all around town. I even ventured over to Pensacola for my local USTA tennis team’s regional playoff. 95 degree weather in July. Hot, humid, sticky, and sweaty. You gotta love it.

Perhaps the biggest thing for me in 2008 was that I bought a house! On September 15, I moved into a very nice, brand new 3-bed/3.5 bath townhome in the Southwood community of Tallahassee. It was a moment of accomplishment for me and it now gives me a sense of permanence after moving around from place to place. I even scored a good roommate and hope to score perhaps one more in 2009.

Finally, 2008 has ended with a bang as my Miami Dolphins shocked the nation, going from 1-15 last year to an 11-5 record this year, winning the AFC East division and making the playoffs. That was all I wanted for Christmas, and they delivered. On Sunday, I will be going to their first home playoff game at Dolphins Stadium in Miami. A great big thank you goes out to Brett Favre for returning to the NFL, specifically to the Jets, and allowing the Jets to dump Chad Pennington, who ended up being the savior for the Miami Dolphins.

God help the Dolphins, my tennis game, the new President-elect, and the nation in 2009. Most importantly, may the New Year bring YOU and yours many blessings.

I hope we get to enjoy some good memories in 2009.

-- Francisco

Have A Blessed Feast of Christ's Nativity

This has been a busy year, a busy holiday season. It's been so busy, I haven't been able to find the time (or the energy) to go out, buy Christmas cards, and send them out to everyone. I keep thinking, I know I'm going to forget someone. As I was frantically thinking of this "chore" many of us try to do each Christmas season, it got me thinking of a few things:

1. The loss of permanence: It seems that each year, it gets harder and harder to actually mail Christmas cards to family and friends. Many of us are constantly moving (myself included!) With all the people I have been blessed to have in my life, I couldn't tell you where every single one of them is right now. Of course, many of us "take flight" to the skies (or the roads) often and so we are busy traveling around. But still many others of us do more than that kind of travel, we seem to constantly be moving - from job to job, city to city. Does anyone stay "rooted" anywhere anymore? Where are we going? What are we looking for?

2. Social networking helps? I guess it does. I have found the best ways to keep track of everyone in this "brave new world" is best done through email and social networking platforms like Facebook and MySpace. Shoot, I've even resorted to a blog (again!) to send out my impersonal Christmas card. Social networking via the world wide web seems to help us keep in touch, but it breeds an impersonal nature. Forgive me for contributing further to this decline. Are we more connected, but yet less connected? I look forward to having a good conversation with each one of you in the coming year. I can tell you every simple conversation I have these I appreciate. Every deep conversation are some of the most joyous moments of my life.

3. Staying busy with white noise: With the internet, crackberries (yes, I just caved in and got one), social networking sites, cell phones, i-Pods and all the things that are supposed to free up our time, keep us more connected, and keep us entertained, we seem to be more busy, more distracted, and less satisfied - as individuals. Are we doing less with more? Are we getting more done? Are we really entertained? If so, are we forgetting to stop, pause, think, and reflect? During some day trips I took this year, I went hiking with friends. It was good to just get away, to take in nature, and to just soak up the time spent away from the things that are meant to entertain us. And, getting outdoors with good friends in places away from distraction breeds good conversation, and elevates the soul.

What does this all mean at Christmas? So what does this all mean at Christmas? Let us pause for a moment and reflect on a signature Christmas song that can help us all with the loss of permanance, the impersonal nature of our brave new world, and the busyness and noisyness of life. The song I am thinking of is: "Silent Night." You may be busy at the moment, but please take a deep breath, pause and reflect (slowly if possible) on these lyrics:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ, the Saviour is born

Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from

Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Take a look at those lyrics again. There is nothing more glorious than the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is what we celebrate this Christmas - that God entered humanity to save humanity. To the Austrian priest who first wrote these lines in 1816, it took a "silent night" to appreciate the awe of this moment.

In large cities, tall skyscrapers, noise, and the busyness of life seem to get in the way of God - and of appreciating the stillness of our souls. That is why when you are out in the rural countryside, where the sky opens up, the traffic disappears, and the stars ("heavenly hosts") brighten the sky, that is why they call it "God's country." It is no surprise then that this song alludes to "shepherds" who "quake at the sight" (the sight of God entering humanity). Shepherds don't typically roam the cities. They are out in "God's country."

Christmas seems to be the busiest of seasons in our life, but there are also moments this season that allow us to pause, reflect, and open up our souls to all that God has to offer. It is only in a "silent night" that we can begin to see "Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face" and have the opportunity to "Sleep in Heavenly Peace." (How often have we slept that well lately?)

May you and yours enjoy this Blessed Feast of Christ's Nativity. May you have a "silent night," a "holy night," and "sleep in heavenly peace."