Dec

26

The Twelve Days of Christmas

December 26, 2007 |

The running around is finished - now the inner contemplation of the mystery of the Nativity can begin.

It’s the day after Christmas.  I’m back at work reflecting on the incredible rush of the last four days  (yes, 4 days).  All of it good - but none of it spiritual. 

Saturday brought my Answer the Call get-together, a 10-mile run, a college basketball game, and a family Christmas get-together.  Sunday brought Mass, a Bengals game, and a family adult dinner.  Monday had me cooking a special breakfast for my kids, finishing up some loose ends, joining the overflow crowd at 3:00 mass on close-circuit TV in the church gym, rushing off to my folks for our Christmas celebration.  Tuesday was my wife and I celebrating with our kids early in the morning, spending the day with her family, and then off to my extended family’s celebration at my aunt and uncle’s house.  We stumbled back through the door at around 10:30pm.  4 days of non-stop activity - rushing from one place to the next.

Again, all of it good but none of it spiritual (especially the Christmas Mass).

Don’t get me wrong - I’m so grateful that we have so many people with whom to spend our Christmas.  I always figure that one of the worst things in life is to spend Christmas alone.  The fact that we have to shuttle between so many places and with so many things to do means God has blessed us abundantly with people that love us and interests to enjoy.

With this said, we’ll have to change something because the kids were just plain worn out.

But, how do we make the days more spiritual?  For this question, I am at a loss.

And it’s dawned on me that there are supposed to be 12 Days of Christmas.  This blessed season is not just one or two days.  It runs from Christmas Day through the Feast of the Epiphany.  It’s only the secular commercialization of our culture that has us pushing the Christmas season up a day (i.e. Christmas Eve) and then ending it on Christmas night.  We’ve taken a 12 day season and shortened it to 2.

So, let’s bring back the other days.  Get the presents out of the way in the first two days and spend the rest of the season in the spiritual contemplation of the incredible gift God gave us in sending his divine son to share in our humanity.

Let’s deepen our spiritual life over the next week-and-half, while continuing to bask in the glow of the love of our family and friends - the incredible wonderment of our children - magical family memories that will last a lifetime. 

Now that the rush is over - let’s have a real conversation with Christ so that we may deepen our relationship with him.

Let’s also take these days and reflect on 2007 while thinking ahead through 2008.

The commercial season is over - let’s ensure the spiritual season (which hopefully began with Advent) continues.


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind