The True Origin of Rose Gaudete Vestments

I HAD to do another #AdventWord for today! :-)
I #WONDER where Laetare / Gaudete rose vestments came from? HAHAHA!!!
Whoever made this one is a genius!

#AdventWord #WONDER - "I Wonder as I Wander"

Today's #AdventWord is #WONDER
This word, especially in the season of Advent, makes me immediately recall the choral piece I Wonder as I Wander. So, I share the text and two versions here. 
1. Sung by the classy Julie Andrews HERE
2. Choral version sung by the Cambridge Singers under John Rutter's direction - HERE
About I wonder as I Wander 
From John Jacob Niles' visit to Murphy, North Carolina in the early 1930's, and later published in his collection entitled, Songs of the Hill Folk, this song is hauntingly beautiful. A true Appalachian lament.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I;

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all

But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall

And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing

A star in the sky or a bird on the wing

Or all of God's Angels in heaven to sing

He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I;

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

‪#‎Episcopal‬ ‪#‎Anglican‬ ‪#‎SSJE‬ ‪#‎EDOLA‬ AdventWord was created by SSJE (The Society of St. John the Evangelist) and is the Anglican Communion's Global Advent Calendar. I'm using it as a daily meditation, prayer, photo post, and a way to connect in spirit to millions during this season of light and hope. You can join me in creating your own. Just take a picture and post it with the day's AdventWord tags! Click HERE for their website and for their daily AdventWords.

Dear Hubble Space Telescope, THANK YOU for 25 years of space goodness!

Dear Hubble Space Telescope,
I just wanted to say a GIGANTIC THANK YOU to

Edwin Hubble, to NASA, to all of your teams (design, engineering, science, vision, launch, maintenance etc.) for 25 years of SPACE GOODNESS!
Seriously, our lives have changed for the better because of your eye into the universe!
Love,
@The_SolarSystem and friends

Follow The Hubble Space Telescope on Twitter
@NASA_Hubble
@HUBBLE_space
@HubbleTelescope

25 Articles and Links to check out about Hubble's 25th anniversary! #Hubble25
- The Hubble Site - Hubbly goodness
- The Hubble Space Telescope GALLERY - indescribable awesomeness
- NASA's Mission page for Hubble
- Unforgettable Hubble Space Telescope Photos  ~ via NY Times
- The Hubble Space Telescope, a Terrific Comeback Story  ~ via The Guardian
- Mind-boggling Images from 25 Years of the Hubble Telescope ~ via Mashable
- Some wiki Hubble info
- Hubble Telescope Celebrates 25 Years in Space With Spectacular New Image 
         ~ via Universe Today
- Hubble at 25: Space Telescope's Top Science Discoveries ~ via Discovery News
- NASA unveils 25th anniversary image for the Hubble: Celestial fireworks in a bed of 
         new stars  ~ via The Washington Post
- Still sharp, Hubble Space Telescope turns 25 with a cloudy future ~ via Washington Post
- 25 Years of Cosmic Treasures: Hubble’s 12½ Greatest Hits  ~ via Phil Plait at Slate

- Hubble Space Telescope marking 25th anniversary in orbit   ~ via Boston Herald
- Hubble Investigates Ghosts of Quasars Past  ~ via Sky & Telescope
- Hubble Space Telescope Turns 25 [Video]  ~ via Wall Street Journal
- Hubble Space Telescope Turns 25  ~ via CNN
- NASA's GOOGLE post about Hubble's 25th and ACTIVITIES running through April 26th
- NASA's Kennedy Space Center Celebrates Hubble Space Telescope's 25th Anniversary
        ~ via NASA.gov
- Hubble Space Telescope: Pictures, Facts & History  ~via Space.com
- Edwin Powell Hubble - The man who discovered the cosmos  ~ via HST
- PBS: People and Discoveries, Edwin Hubble  ~ via PBS
- The Hubble Effect's 25th Anniversary --"A Radical Transformation of Our Perception of 
         the Universe"  ~ via The Daily Galaxy
- Behind the Scenes of the Last Mission to Repair the Hubble ~via The Smithsonian
- Fascinating Photos Take You Behind the Scenes of Hubble  ~via WIRED
- 10 Fascinating Facts About the Hubble Space Telescope  ~ via History 

Star Cluster in Nebula NGC 3603
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/wallpaper/pr2007034b/1280x800_wallpaper/

"I am the Light of the world"

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Milky Way image by Derek Rowly, found at:
http://ourstoriesandperspectives.com/2013/01/17/unwrapping-the-milky-way-at-riverbend-park/ 

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

NASA / ESA/ Hubble image of NGC 1566 in the constellation of Dorado

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Massive Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841
Image Credit: Hubble, Subaru; Composition & Copyright: Robert Gendler

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Voyager's Neptune
Composite Image Credit & Copyright: Assembly/Processing - Rolf Olsen,
Data - Voyager 2, NASA Planetary Data System

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Jupiter's Great Red Spot from Voyager 1
Image Credit: NASA, JPL; Digital processing: Björn Jónsson (IAAA)

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

In the Center of Spiral Galaxy M61
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA; Acknowledgements: G. Chapdelaine & L. Limatola

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

The Cone Nebula from Hubble
Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, NASA, ESA - Processing & Licence: Judy Schmidt

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
Image Credit & Copyright: CEDIC Team, Processing - Christoph Kaltseis

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Planetary Nebula Abell 36
Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, Univ. Arizona

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Satellite Station and Southern Skies
Image Credit & Copyright: James Garlick

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we discover the fascinating wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen. 

Halo of the Cat's Eye
Image Credit & Copyright: R. Corradi (Isaac Newton Group), Nordic Optical Telescope

An Evening Prayer

God, grant as we probe the wonders and mysteries of our own solar system, we may come to know you more truly! Amen.

Exploring God's Wonder and Mystery

God, grant as we probe the wonders and mysteries of the universe, we may come to know you more truly! Amen.

Star Forming Region in the Small Magellanic Cloud, NASA Image
www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_448.html