A Sunday Thought About the Last Day of the Christmas Season to Start the Week Off Right
Most Latin Right Catholics observe the Baptism of the Lord today. In the "new" calendar, this marks the end of the Christmas Season. The old calendar's Christmas Season lasted through the Epiphany, which was celebrated on January 6th, as opposed to the new calendar which "moved" the Epiphany from its traditional date to the Sunday after January 1st - for some reason. And we haven't mentioned the Eastern Right Catholics who observe yet another "old" calendar, this based on the Julian calendar. Their Christmas Day was celebrated on January 7th, so the Christmas Season is just getting started. Got all that?
But whatever calendar you observe, for many of us, the second week or so of January brings a touch of sadness as we’re left facing winter’s starkness and cold without those holiday favorites: no more Christmas music, no more streets lined with Christmas lights, no more "Merry Christmas" from friends and neighbors. Everything's back to "everyday" life. What lifted our spirits, and brought a touch of extraordinary joy has disappeared. We're on our own.
Of course we’re not really on our own. Think of it this way: Having been bolstered in early winter by those lights and celebrations, we’re really all stocked up, both physically, mentally, and, most especially, spiritually, to face what the winter and the New Year brings. So any sadness really ought to be a passing thing, like a wisp of a winter’s breath outside that quickly dissipates. While the decorations may have disappeared, we know that Our Lord hasn't. If the Christ Child lying in the manger has been stored away for another year, His Presence in our hearts will continue to grow - if we cooperate with the graces He sent us during that happy, blessed Christmas Season.
Remember our Advent prayer, "Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts"? Well, having prayed fervently for His coming, we now embrace that Child as we follow the Gospels at Mass in the coming weeks. He will grow into a man and spread the Good News of our salvation. As we attend Mass and hear the Good News, we can pray for the grace to accept His offer of eternal happiness by doing His Will.
Before you know it, Ash Wednesday will appear on the horizon. We'll be steeped in the Holy Season of Lent, eventually in the glorious Easter Season. More graces, more opportunity for us to cooperate with these graces and increase in holiness, to grow ever closer to Our Lord.
Sadness with the end of the Christmas Season? There's no time for it. The richness of the liturgy of our Holy Church won't permit it. Your spiritual discipline will lift you up, push aside that sadness, quicken your mind and heart even in the dead of winter.
Meanwhile, remembering our Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox Christians whose Christmas Season just began last Wednesday, here's a snappy video of cute Ukrainian young folks singing a traditional carol.
And, what the heck, one last time:
But whatever calendar you observe, for many of us, the second week or so of January brings a touch of sadness as we’re left facing winter’s starkness and cold without those holiday favorites: no more Christmas music, no more streets lined with Christmas lights, no more "Merry Christmas" from friends and neighbors. Everything's back to "everyday" life. What lifted our spirits, and brought a touch of extraordinary joy has disappeared. We're on our own.
Of course we’re not really on our own. Think of it this way: Having been bolstered in early winter by those lights and celebrations, we’re really all stocked up, both physically, mentally, and, most especially, spiritually, to face what the winter and the New Year brings. So any sadness really ought to be a passing thing, like a wisp of a winter’s breath outside that quickly dissipates. While the decorations may have disappeared, we know that Our Lord hasn't. If the Christ Child lying in the manger has been stored away for another year, His Presence in our hearts will continue to grow - if we cooperate with the graces He sent us during that happy, blessed Christmas Season.
Remember our Advent prayer, "Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts"? Well, having prayed fervently for His coming, we now embrace that Child as we follow the Gospels at Mass in the coming weeks. He will grow into a man and spread the Good News of our salvation. As we attend Mass and hear the Good News, we can pray for the grace to accept His offer of eternal happiness by doing His Will.
Before you know it, Ash Wednesday will appear on the horizon. We'll be steeped in the Holy Season of Lent, eventually in the glorious Easter Season. More graces, more opportunity for us to cooperate with these graces and increase in holiness, to grow ever closer to Our Lord.
Sadness with the end of the Christmas Season? There's no time for it. The richness of the liturgy of our Holy Church won't permit it. Your spiritual discipline will lift you up, push aside that sadness, quicken your mind and heart even in the dead of winter.
Meanwhile, remembering our Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox Christians whose Christmas Season just began last Wednesday, here's a snappy video of cute Ukrainian young folks singing a traditional carol.
And, what the heck, one last time:
Merry Christmas!
Comments