Already on to Christmas!

I am wondering why I get so excited about Christmas the past few years. You would figure that, after being on the earth 56 Christmases, and 14 of them as a priest, it would be passé or whatever, and a chore, since life gets so busy with the church and all. But I actively look forward to the feast again this year! When I was a kid, of course, it had to do with presents and Christmas vacation. Now it has to do mainly with the celebration of the feast and all that God has done to show His love for us. I don’t know how else to describe the feeling. It is enhanced since I came up to NE PA, since snow is a part of the equation – again, after so many years. Growing up, snow was always a marker of the season, an important part of the season. We have already had one “real” snow fall so far this season, and quite a number of days of flurries this week alone. I know that temperatures and precipitation can evoke memories – I still have memories of standing outside, waiting for the schoolbus when I was in elementary school, when the weather is cool, gray and drizzling! So, maybe it is the snow and the cold that is reminding me of Christmas.

My routine has changed from when I was little, though: Instead of sitting on the couch and looking through the Sears catalogue and circling the toys I hoped to get that year – I wonder if the circling was because I figured M&D would look through it later for clues as to what to give us – I now look through the book offerings in the Light & Life Publishing catalogue, or computer catalogues. I do not hold any hope that Mom will be looking through them for ideas, though! 🙂

Overall, the pagentry, the music, the decorations, are the externals that I enjoy at church. The Incarnation is the internal. It’s a great season. Eastern Catholic Advent began on November 15th, so we are already 34 days away. Advent is a great reminder, not only of “how many days” but also of how we should prepare ourselves for the feast. It is a great way to keep us centered on what we are about to celebrate, in the midst of all the stresses and distractions that the World puts on us at this time.

I have no way in mind on how to end this post. Have a blessed and profitable Advent, and may we all walk together on our pilgrimage to the Cave in Bethlehem.