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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Someone sent me the following through email, and I liked it enough to send it on. It sounds good whether true or not...........<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><U><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A Christmas Carol <o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Today, I found out at a women's luncheon at church.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></DIV>
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<DIV>Patricia Stegall</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:pasteg@earthlink.net">pasteg@earthlink.net</A></DIV>
<DIV>Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.</DIV>
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