Christmas in Venice 2015 - Cat Bauer's Favorite Jesus Christ Quotes

Basilica of San Marco - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) Year after year, Christmas in Venice continues to be magical. The few weeks leading up to the holiday are void of tourists, and residents can actually see each other on the street, like a cozy village. In Venice, Christmas feels simple and pure, a holiday celebrated with friends and family. It is a time to remember what life was like before the tidal wave of commercial tourism hit the town.

While much of the planet is experiencing extreme weather for the holidays, Venice has been cloaked in a mystical mist, setting the scene for enchantment.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was flogged and crucified for his dangerous message -- for preaching that the old ""eye for an eye" was out, and the new "love thy neighbor as thyself" was in. Since the point of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of this radical Jew who founded Christianity, here are some of my Jesus Christ favorite quotes:

Midnight Mass Basilica of San Marco - Photo: Cat Bauer

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

"All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbor as yourself."

Basilica of San Marco Dome - Photo: Cat Bauer

"I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

"So when you give to someone in need, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others."

"Don't be afraid; just believe."

"A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family."

Madonna Nicopeia - Photo: Cat Bauer

"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today has enough trouble of its own."

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"

Happy Holidays from Venezia,
Cat
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog