Work in Progress, an animated short by Tom Bertino, 2001

Work in Progress, an animated short by Tom Bertino, 2001

Work in Progress, 2001

An animated short by Tom Bertino

“In a fantastic workshop hidden deep in a world of natural wonders, two peculiar inventors squabble over their latest creation. What’s more important, concept or implementation? A mysterious third party intervenes and provides the elusive, missing ingredient.” (IMDB)

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The Pope’s Christmas Message

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Face Activities members, please enjoy the Pope’s Christmas Message!

Every year the Pope delivers a Christmas Message for the people of the world, catholic and non catholic alike. Please enjoy this message. We wish you a peaceful, joyful day!

VATICAN CITY – Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas!

In Bethlehem, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born, not by the will of man, but by the gift of the love of God our Father, who “so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

This event is renewed today in the Church, a pilgrim in time. For the faith of the Christian people relives in the Christmas liturgy the mystery of the God who comes, who assumes our mortal human flesh, and who becomes lowly and poor in order to save us. And this moves us deeply, for great is the tenderness of our Father.

POPE FRANCIS PRAYS FOR PEACE, LAMENTS ‘WINDS OF WAR’ IN CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

The first people to see the humble glory of the Savior, after Mary and Joseph, were the shepherds of Bethlehem. They recognized the sign proclaimed to them by the angels and adored the Child. Those humble and watchful men are an example for believers of every age who, before the mystery of Jesus, are not scandalized by his poverty. Rather, like Mary, they trust in God’s word and contemplate his glory with simple eyes. Before the mystery of the Word made flesh, Christians in every place confess with the words of the Evangelist John: “We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Lk 2:7).

We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by goodwill to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles, the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.

We see Jesus in the faces of Syrian children still marked by the war that, in these years, has caused such bloodshed in that country. May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard for ethnic and religious membership. We see Jesus in the children of Iraq, wounded and torn by the conflicts that country has experienced in the last 15 years, and in the children of Yemen, where there is an ongoing conflict that has been largely forgotten, with serious humanitarian implications for its people, who suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.

We see Jesus in the children of Africa, especially those who are suffering in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria.

We see Jesus in the children worldwide wherever peace and security are threatened by the danger of tensions and new conflicts. Let us pray that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean peninsula and that mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole. To the Baby Jesus we entrust Venezuela that it may resume a serene dialogue among the various elements of society for the benefit of all the beloved Venezuelan people. We see Jesus in children who, together with their families, suffer from the violence of the conflict in Ukraine and its grave humanitarian repercussions; we pray that the Lord may soon grant peace to this dear country.

We see Jesus in the children of unemployed parents who struggle to offer their children a secure and peaceful future. And in those whose childhood has been robbed and who, from a very young age, have been forced to work or to be enrolled as soldiers by unscrupulous mercenaries.

We see Jesus in the many children forced to leave their countries to travel alone in inhuman conditions and who become an easy target for human traffickers. Through their eyes we see the drama of all those forced to emigrate and risk their lives to face exhausting journeys that end at times in tragedy. I see Jesus again in the children I met during my recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, and it is my hope that the international community will not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one’s head. May our hearts not be closed as they were in the homes of Bethlehem.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The sign of Christmas has also been revealed to us: “a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2:12). Like the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we welcome in the Baby Jesus the love of God made man for us. And may we commit ourselves, with the help of his grace, to making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future.

The True Origins of Christmas

The True Origins of Christmas

The modern Christmas celebration, as practiced in the world today, is often very commercial, but clearly at the heart of the holiday for devout Christians everywhere is a celebration to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, believed by billions to be the savior of mankind, and the son of God.

However, many of the traditions and trappings of the modern Christmas holiday predate the Christian era. Decorated Evergreen trees, gift giving, the stories related to Santa Clause, and much more, all have origins in ancient pagan Europe, in particular the Nordic nations of the far north.

This video is a fascinating account of the pagan origins of the Christmas holiday. So much of the symbolism and storytelling we are familiar with during the Christmas season originate in the solstice celebrations of Yule, observed in ancient pre-Christian Europe for thousands of years.

Photo: youtube (screen capture)

The Playful Polar Bears, an animated short by Dave Fleischer, 1938

The Playful Polar Bears, an animated short by Dave Fleischer, 1938

The Playful Polar Bears, 1938

An animated short by Dave Fleischer

Adorable arctic polar bears and their cubs live a merry life in the frozen wilderness, but must defend themselves when they are threatened by human hunters.

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Virus (Fukkatsu no hi), a film by Kinji Fukasaku, 1980

Virus (Fukkatsu no hi), a film by Kinji Fukasaku, 1980

Virus (Fukkatsu no hi), 1980

A film by Kinji Fukasaku

The military did it again. They created a deadly weaponized virus that up and killed most of humanity—-oops! Fortunately, a small group of scientists in Antarctica race to find a cure before humanity is completely gone. Will they succeed, or is it curtains for the human race?

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Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, a film by Timo Vuorensola, 2005

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, a film by Timo Vuorensola, 2005

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, 2005

A film by Timo Vuorensola

Time travelling space heroes are marooned in the early 21st century, and decide to intervene in earth’s history in order to save the future of the planet, which appears to have gone off-track: the antimaterial drive hasn’t been invented on schedule, and the world may face an invasion by an alien race known as the Korg. But conveniently, their Captain just might become Emperor of the entire planet in this new time-line.

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The Man Who Saved The World (Turkish Star Wars) 1982

The Man Who Saved The World (Turkish Star Wars) 1982

The Man Who Saved The World (Turkish Star Wars) 1982

Known by many names, this is a definite low-budget rip-off of many popular science fiction movies and TV programs, including Star Wars, Battle Star Galactica, Flash Gordon, and Star Trek.

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