European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1964, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Simeon the holy family to an unguarded breach in the City Wall n the ancient psalms of our it is written thai the Span of mans life is three score years and but god has i most generously blessed Simeon of Jeru for i have had the gift of four score and though my strength is even so 1 have latterly known Tol filament of prayer and the culmination of my fondest i know that this Ufa can offer nothing 1 am one who would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the lord than dwell in the most sumptuous Long ago it was vouchsafed me by the holy spirit that i should not see death until i had seen he the Saviour of Israel the redeemer of the i knew not when i should see him nor in what Guise he might but i was certain that sooner or later he would come to the Temple of the lord and that by gods inspiration 1 would recognize so it became my Dally custom to visit the Temple both to offer worship and to search the faces of those who entered the Bouse of for 1 knew that True peace would not come to my soul until i had seen the lords Messiah and who would Tell what manner of Man he might be governor or scribe Day after Day 1 kept my Vigil but the anointed one did not until at in gods Good there came one Day t Young couple after the custom of our were presenting their Newborn son to toe lord and offering a thanksgiving sacrifice of two the moment i saw the child 1 knew my search was by the urging of be holy ghost i knew beyond that child was godt appointed in he helpless form of a Little the Symbol of love and was our Long awaited the Saviour of the i took Little in my arms to speak words of bleating and it was As it i held the very heart of creation w my breast my soul overflowed with thanksgiving and my uttered a paean of Praise now Tett thou thy servant depart in according to thy which thou has prepared before the face of All people to be a Light to lighten the and to be tip glory of thy the news of prophecies was quickly noised abroad and Titre was a great sur of excitement among our word of our rejoicing soon reached the of that jealous in demented desperation he declared a pogrom and ordered his to Moron out and Slaughter All innocent Infanta it brutal butchery began that vary Day and throughout City Rose piteous sound of Lamen tation and mourning As the mothers of Israel Wero weeping lot their i Hod thought my Complete in the moment when 1 held infant Christ in my As Qadi proved greater than mans for that As heroes men continued their it 1 who guided the holy family through dark and secret ways to or unguarded breach in the Day Wall and sent them quickly on their Way to safety of am 1 in danger from heroes Wrath if my part in the escape it known of he will slay but 1 fear no 1 know that my redeemer Lizcth and this precious Chris child is the very embodiment of the love of god which overcome All things fear and even now wettest thou thy servant depart in Page 14 a Shepherd 7 have seen him in the face of a Little child s anyone Here will toll in a Shep Herd and a faithful my word is honest and in not Given to Ive derided sheep arc not very different from unions someone watches Over  go astray and get into every kind of and there never Able to gel themselves out without that what shepherds Are there to us who Are its a life we Ive known shepherds who gave their lives for their what More can a Man do than Lay Down his life for those he loves i cant read or but i Learned the psalms of David when was a boy and Many a out on these Judean Ive lung them by the my Orite is the lord is my Shepherd t shall not but perhaps that because i understand those words better than to think of god As the scribes think is difficult Tor 1 have not the learning to understand Jehovah holy but to see him As a that i can understand and it is enough for my simple but today i have a new Way of knowing god i have seen him in the face of a mile t hardly dare speak of it lest men think me and even to those who Trust my words i cannot Tell Lite whole Tor 1 am not a i know Only Plain words and even it i could say All that i in my poor head and who would believe that god would show these wonder Ful things to an ignorant Shepherd Bat i must Tell even though i be laughed Lor 1 Hare seen my Shepherd and my i can not be last night we were As usual with the flocks on those Hills outside Bethlehem All was Calm and the sheep Lay quiet and the Clear Starlight glistened on the sleeping town below suddenly a great Light shone round about us and we were speechless with but the voice of an Angel said fear not i bring you Good tidings or treat which shall be to All for unto you is born this Day in the City of David a which is Christ the and this shall be a sign unto you be shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling lying in a and when the Angel had finished the most glorious music swept Over us and the hosts of heaven Sang glory to god in the and on Earth Goodwill toward when the Angels had we set a guard for the sheep and three of As hastened Down to Bethlehem to see what the lord had made known to the child was in the stable behind the a wondrous born of he slept in a Manger and round him was the flow of heavenly we gave thanks to god for his salvation and offered our gifts to the child a lambs fleece for his a twist of wild Flowers Lor a Crown and a shepherds Crook to be his poor gifts to make but All we and he seemed As did ills that All there is to my it May not seem but so Long As i live i shall never know such Joy and peace As came to me last when 1 saw love of god smiling in the face of that dear Good thank you for May the Saviours peace and Goodwill go with you today and Balthasar no Light but his shall be our of let us adore him am court astrologer of Arabia and one of the magi who paid Hom age to Christ at his the science of the stars has been my Ufa the skies speak Tho language of a living and eternal god to those who have to see and to the creator whose Handiwork it spread Large on heavens Black Canvas is one worthy of even the mightiest mans so i study the stars and each night my thoughts of god Are enlarged thus it was that a recent most interesting and unexplained appearance of a new Star sent me to search ing the writings of ancient prophets to earn what this might at last i found my answer in the obscure prophecies of some ancient and what i read caused my soul to tremble for it wits foretold that when such a Star appeared in the then would gods appointed Messiah be born in Bethlehem of naturally 1 made immediate preparation to travel for so great an event must not be i would Greet the Newborn King and pay homage to my Long was the journey Over desert and and though i had the Good company of two Othera Ilka magi from far even so i would have abandoned the hardships of my pilgrimage had it not been for the constantly beckoning growing brighter each night and urging us toward the at Long last my companions and i reached the court of the Judean King How great was our Digap Point Menlo for we had expected to find feasting and rejoicing among these be Ope whom god had so singularly to our there waa naught but apprehension and Herod received us with cold and his tiers resented our we were questioned closely by the and i continue our journey he busted that inform him immediately when we Hod found the his Mouth spoke of Bua m1 murder Bethlehem t0 Uble to is o Kunrt would the world Otter no better Welcome than Sis Lor h we Jad heaven message our pilgrimage had been in but As we stood thus counselling in the stable ame to of a Melody was Sweet As a open cod we looked the Light of our guiding Star focused envy the word silently we Knelt and worshipped the holy our and were paced cd Jed we y not to bound by Way that Herod tomorrow our paths diverge Gasn urd the win ea8 Mcl chlo the stars and stripes the in seen the u8nt of the word in the face of Jiw henc1ortn no Light but his shall be our of let us adore 1964