Bulletin Article for Next Weekend, Dec. 26th and 27th...
Is your Christmas tree already lying out by the curb? I hope not because Christmas is not over! The Christmas Octave is eight days long, ending on the feast of Mary, Mother of God on January 1st. And even after the octave is over, the Christmas season extends to the Baptism of the Lord, which is January 10th this year. Our culture tends to limit celebrations to one day. But if we go along with this mentality, we are missing out. The birth of Jesus is too important to be limited to one day! Perhaps the biggest problem with ending Christmas early is that it limits our ability to reflect on it and enter deeper into the mystery. This is a shame because the incarnation is the second deepest mystery in our faith (only after the Trinity). Pondering Jesus’ birth into our world is, therefore, one of the best ways to get to know him and understand him. So even though your neighbor’s tree might be horizontal in the snow, keep your decorations up and continue the celebration! There will be plenty of time for subdued restraint during lent. Now is the time to rejoice!