Catholic Sensibility

Christmas proclamation The twenty-fifth day of December, In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth; the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood; the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham; the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt; the one thousand and thirty-second year from David's being anointed king; in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome; the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; in the sixth age of the world, the whole world being at peace, Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary, being made flesh. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. Did your parish proclaim this? I always wanted to substitute the first line with: In the thirteen billion, three-hundred thirty-two million, nine-hundred forty-six thousand, eight-hundred, thirty-seventh year since the Big Bang, the four billion, five-hundred nineteen million, one-hundred sixty-six thousand, four-hundred, twenty-fifth year since the condensation of the Sun from the primoridal nebula, the four billion, four-hundred thirty-nine million, five-hundred eleven thousand, seventy-fourth year since the creation of the moon from impact, the sixty-two million, eight hundred sixty-nine thousand, seven hundred sixty-first year since the extinction of the dinosaurs, the three hundred ninety-two thousand, nine hundred fourth year since the control of fire, the eleven thousand, five hundred fifty-third year since the end of the Ice Age A little cosmological perspective, don't you think? Or perhaps not. The latest summary on the Cassini web page is here: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=524, and it lists moon targets in 2005.