For all the hustle and bustle, planning and scheming, buying and wrapping, cooking and cleaning, you might think Christmas Day is anti-climatic. One day and it’s over; at least that is how our society has grown accustom to the celebration of this Holy Day. However, in our Catholic tradition, those busy days leading up to Christmas comprise the Advent Season, a time of preparation, which last four weeks. During Advent, we prepare, not just our houses, we prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Christ Child. The eager anticipation is similar to the arrival of any newborn child, but this God-Child is already in our midst. Our Advent liturgies focus, not only on the birth of Christ, but also, on preparation for His second coming in glory. The Christmas Season starts on Christmas Day and is celebrated until January 6th with the Epiphany, or visit of the Magi. If you think that is where the 12 Days of Christmas originated, then maybe you are on to something.
In our secular world the success of Christmas is rated with a cash register, but Christians know it is so much more than numbers. Christmas cannot be counted and analyzed. It’s magic, touching all our senses and enveloping our lives with joy and happiness. We see the lights, hear the carolers, smell the aroma of the pine, taste the feast, and touch. We touch and hug people; we hug people we would never think of hugging on the Fourth of July. The Christmas magic flows within us and overflows to those around us. And that is as it should be; peace and good will to all.
We tend to mark the years in life by Christmas, which is appropriate since we date our calendars by the year of the miraculous birth. Tradition engulfs our time and talents, dictating what we do, the things we cook, the family with whom we gather, as well as the songs we sing. People travel for miles because I’ll Be Home for Christmas is playing in their hearts, knowing that it would be a Blue Christmas without you. And although I’ve never eaten a Chestnut Roasting on an Open Fire, experienced a White Christmas, or even seen a one horse open sleigh, Jingle Bells will always signify the coming of the Budweiser Clydesdales pulling a tree-topped wagon. At church we sing the age-old Carols recalling only the first verse and humming through verses 2 – 5, singing the chorus – even though we cannot sing.
Scrooge realized the joy of Christmas by ghostly visitations; the Fourth Wiseman missed the caravan, continued the journey alone and found the importance of giving; and Jim sold his watch while Della sold her hair, discovering the meaning of true love. Even the Grinch learned an important lesson about Christmas: “It came without ribbons, it came without bows, it came without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe Christmas, he thought doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.” The crèche is always on the horizon in our lives and we must learn to close the distance between it and ourselves. We are invited to enter the stable, feel the cold damp air, smell the cattle and hay, and adore our King lying in a manger. The magic of Christmas can last all year long. Continue the celebration each and everyday and God bless us, everyone.
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