BRUTUS OF THE NORTH POLE
This was going to be a disaster. This is not one of those businesses that you can take off for a year and then come back as if nothing happened. Credibility is not a boomerang. Once you throw it away it doesn’t come back and I’ve worked too hard on this job. There was only one person brave enough, strong enough, and smart enough to handle this problem though. It was Mrs. Clause and right to her I went.
She was in her kitchen preparing the banquet feast for the whole team for the night of the big flight in the main house. “Mrs. Clause,” I said softly, not wanting to scare her.
She turned and her face lit up. “Brutus. What a surprise! What are you doing here? It’s so kind of you to visit but if aren’t you terribly busy now?”
I sighed. “We’ve got a problem.”
A funny look came over her face as if to say, “Now what did he do?” She walked over to the table, poured some tea that had been just whistling on the stove (how does she always do that?) and said, “Sit down right here, have a sip of tea, and tell me all about it.” She always seemed to be moving slowly when I thought it was the time for rushing and quick decisions but I’ve learned to follow her lead. She always seems to be right.
At the end of my story she didn’t seem the least bit flustered. She simply tipped the pot into her cup again and said, “Oh dear, that won’t do. It is simply a matter of confused thinking. They won’t love Jesus more because Santa refused to come. In fact, they may come to be actively angry at Him if Santa uses Him as the reason to cut off all gifts. Now that would be a disaster. No, people are just sleepy. They don’t need to be punished, just wakened up. Now you just go get things ready and I’ll have a nice heart to heart with Santa.”
She got up and got and started to put a couple of mugs of coffee together and since I wasn’t dismissed, I took the opportunity, in secret I hate to say, to see what would she do. She took the cups and some cookies (fat free, low sugar, and high in fiber) and sat next to Santa who was in his recliner. (Apparently the reindeer was just fine.)
“Are you mad?” he asked.
“When have you ever known me to be mad?” she said simply.
“I’m right you know.”
“Of course you are dear.” And she let a few moments pass. “And that’s why I’ve decided to stop cooking.”
“What?” exclaimed Santa.
“You’ve been overweight far too long. It is an abuse what you do to your body and I’m afraid my cooking is part of the problem so I am following your advice and not cooking anymore until you get your waistline down.”
“That’s ridiculous. Besides I’ll just find another way to get food.”
“Oh my! Do you think so?”
“Yes. And I won’t like it. So I’ll be fat and upset. That’s not healthy either.”
“Upset like the people you refuse to bring presents to? Do you think that will force them to think of Jesus?”
A hurumph came out of Santa. “All right. Out with it.”
“You can’t force Jesus on people. Punishing people for not paying attention to Him doesn’t work, or if it does, it isn’t a long-term fix. And making great shows like kneeling down before the manger didn’t work because it wasn’t sincere. You did it merely to be seen.”
“Alright then. What can YOU suggest that I do that Brutus and his team haven’t already tried?”
“The best way to pass on the faith is to live it and live it boldly. You are in the public eye. Time for you to be a man of faith. When is the last time you got to confession?”
“Well, I . . er . . . it was . . . let’ see”
“Uh huh. And the last time you made a Holy Hour? I’ll tell you when.”
“No need.”
“Or prayed with the staff? Or used wrapping paper or sent cards with a religious theme? Or offered your communion for all those who are spiritually lost at Christmas? Or blessed the tree and presents without being prompted? Or offered a prayer of thanks for our gifts . . .”
“God knows I’m thankful.”
“Or invited the good father over to bless the house. I do it, yes. But when did you initiate it?”
“Well. That always seemed your job.”
“The only sure way, the only lasting way to get people to pay better attention to Jesus at Christmas is for individuals to start doing so themselves and it always starts with an individual “you”. It is a slow process but the only one that works long-term. Now, I’ve called Father over at St. Nicolaus and he’s said to come right over, he’ll hear you confession. Make a Holy Hour praying for all those to whom you will be delivering presents, especially those who will be getting lumps of coal. Then come back here. We will pray with all of our friends and have a fine meal before you take off. Now go. I’ve got too much work to do and you’ve already taken up too much of my time. Go! GO!”
And Santa did. He came back. We prayed, we ate, and he left on his yearly journey. Nothing looked too much different that year, but in a sense it was. There seemed to be just a little more purpose to the season, a little more focus. Who knows? Maybe it was the start of something big.
She was in her kitchen preparing the banquet feast for the whole team for the night of the big flight in the main house. “Mrs. Clause,” I said softly, not wanting to scare her.
She turned and her face lit up. “Brutus. What a surprise! What are you doing here? It’s so kind of you to visit but if aren’t you terribly busy now?”
I sighed. “We’ve got a problem.”
A funny look came over her face as if to say, “Now what did he do?” She walked over to the table, poured some tea that had been just whistling on the stove (how does she always do that?) and said, “Sit down right here, have a sip of tea, and tell me all about it.” She always seemed to be moving slowly when I thought it was the time for rushing and quick decisions but I’ve learned to follow her lead. She always seems to be right.
At the end of my story she didn’t seem the least bit flustered. She simply tipped the pot into her cup again and said, “Oh dear, that won’t do. It is simply a matter of confused thinking. They won’t love Jesus more because Santa refused to come. In fact, they may come to be actively angry at Him if Santa uses Him as the reason to cut off all gifts. Now that would be a disaster. No, people are just sleepy. They don’t need to be punished, just wakened up. Now you just go get things ready and I’ll have a nice heart to heart with Santa.”
She got up and got and started to put a couple of mugs of coffee together and since I wasn’t dismissed, I took the opportunity, in secret I hate to say, to see what would she do. She took the cups and some cookies (fat free, low sugar, and high in fiber) and sat next to Santa who was in his recliner. (Apparently the reindeer was just fine.)
“Are you mad?” he asked.
“When have you ever known me to be mad?” she said simply.
“I’m right you know.”
“Of course you are dear.” And she let a few moments pass. “And that’s why I’ve decided to stop cooking.”
“What?” exclaimed Santa.
“You’ve been overweight far too long. It is an abuse what you do to your body and I’m afraid my cooking is part of the problem so I am following your advice and not cooking anymore until you get your waistline down.”
“That’s ridiculous. Besides I’ll just find another way to get food.”
“Oh my! Do you think so?”
“Yes. And I won’t like it. So I’ll be fat and upset. That’s not healthy either.”
“Upset like the people you refuse to bring presents to? Do you think that will force them to think of Jesus?”
A hurumph came out of Santa. “All right. Out with it.”
“You can’t force Jesus on people. Punishing people for not paying attention to Him doesn’t work, or if it does, it isn’t a long-term fix. And making great shows like kneeling down before the manger didn’t work because it wasn’t sincere. You did it merely to be seen.”
“Alright then. What can YOU suggest that I do that Brutus and his team haven’t already tried?”
“The best way to pass on the faith is to live it and live it boldly. You are in the public eye. Time for you to be a man of faith. When is the last time you got to confession?”
“Well, I . . er . . . it was . . . let’ see”
“Uh huh. And the last time you made a Holy Hour? I’ll tell you when.”
“No need.”
“Or prayed with the staff? Or used wrapping paper or sent cards with a religious theme? Or offered your communion for all those who are spiritually lost at Christmas? Or blessed the tree and presents without being prompted? Or offered a prayer of thanks for our gifts . . .”
“God knows I’m thankful.”
“Or invited the good father over to bless the house. I do it, yes. But when did you initiate it?”
“Well. That always seemed your job.”
“The only sure way, the only lasting way to get people to pay better attention to Jesus at Christmas is for individuals to start doing so themselves and it always starts with an individual “you”. It is a slow process but the only one that works long-term. Now, I’ve called Father over at St. Nicolaus and he’s said to come right over, he’ll hear you confession. Make a Holy Hour praying for all those to whom you will be delivering presents, especially those who will be getting lumps of coal. Then come back here. We will pray with all of our friends and have a fine meal before you take off. Now go. I’ve got too much work to do and you’ve already taken up too much of my time. Go! GO!”
And Santa did. He came back. We prayed, we ate, and he left on his yearly journey. Nothing looked too much different that year, but in a sense it was. There seemed to be just a little more purpose to the season, a little more focus. Who knows? Maybe it was the start of something big.
7 comments:
Did you write this?????? It is soooo good.
How clever of you to know that it would take a woman (womyn) to make Santa understand. Only kidding - really!
I'm thinking this is an original work of art...uh...story...which is an art. :-)
Niiice.
And of course it always takes a woman - God saw to that in his creation of Mary. :-)
I like the line from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" - "The man is the head of the house. But the woman? She is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she wants."
One of the Best. Lines. Ever.
This proves two things:
1) The Clauses were actually Irish
2) The song really should've rather and always and truly been, "I am woman, hear me plead."
God bless Fr. V. (And all the women in his life, upon whom this is surely based.)
Back a few years, when things in the Church had never seemed more black and grey.. Fr. Landry wrote a piece that suggested the very same: Look to your own spirituality, increase your own holiness. That is the example and the potentially vast good difference you can make.
Amen, amen.
JustAnonymous
I have to link to this over atPer Christum. Very clever. I take it you wrote this yourself? Well done!
Thanks guys.
Yep - Too tired to do anything and too awake to go to bed one night and Poof! Three days I didn't have to think of anything to say. . .
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fr. V ~ This morning I was shopping at our local Catholic store and what should my eyes behold but an ornament depicting Santa kneeling at the manger! I almost bought it for you!
And I was sorely tempted.....
:-)
Fr. V -
you should get an illustrator & have it published - create this story into a book. It would be great for parents & children...we definitely need more books with an authentic Catholic story line.
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