DIFFERENT SET UP FOR OUR NATIVITY SCENE THIS YEAR

 "Hmmmmmmmm."    
                             "Yeah.  I don't know."

 "Do you think it's them?"

 "I don't have my glasses.  I can't tell."

 "But look how darling they are.  It's gotta be them."

"It sure would be embarrassing if it weren't them and here we are all dressed up and carrying gifts for the wrong baby."

"Wait.  I have an idea."

 "HEY!  JOSEPH!"

 "'I don't think they can hear you."

 "Maybe we one of us could just sneak up on them and take a peak."
                                                                                "Alright.  Who wants to go?"

"I say we wait a few days and see what develops."
"Plan!"
"Plan!"

WHAT'S THE POINT? SETTIAS?

Monday was the last day of Christmas as it is recognized in the Catholic Church, as opposed to the St. Walmart the Great calendar.  In regards to this, it is the goal of this parish to operate in much the same way the West Movie Theater was run when I was a kid.  During the last showing of a movie on Thursday night, the exterior of the theater was transformed so that no trace was left of that old movie!  Its now about the next movie!  So the marque was changed, the posters were changed, displays - as the people walked out of the movie everything was geared toward the most current.

When Christmas came to a close at the parish, it pretty much vanished (except for a forgotten star still hanging where the manger was and the parts of the outdoor manger scene that were iced to the ground.)  I wanted it to be startling and clear that we are back in ordinary time.  That means giving the poinsettias up for adoption.

I know some parishes keep their poinsettias up sometimes for months.  They are flowers and they are pretty no matter the strong connotation they have with Christmas.  So there is nothing “wrong” with leaving them up.  But when I do see them at other parishes I don’t think, “Look at the pretty flowers,” I think, “Those are left over from Christmas.”

I will grant you that I am a bit sensitive to symbolism but does it not help the celebration of the liturgical calendar to be just a tad overboard on these things?  If you went to the mall today and saw Christmas decorations (as opposed to St. Valentine’s Day decorations) would you not just think, “Somebody is not on the ball.  Time to take those down.”  Or if you neighbor had their Christmas lights still up (until July) would you not think, “Come on!  You’re bringing my property values down!”  But maybe in church people see the Christmas flowers and think, “Ah!  The long lingering glow of Christmas.”  I see coloring outside the lines.

MONDAY DIARY: PONDEROUS PONDERINGS

This isn't exactly a comic Monday, just something that has been tickling my brain lately.  It occurred to me that Christmas doesn't hold up to the light very well.  During the day you plainly see the DNR yard inflatables laying slain in people's front yards, the wires and extension cords of Christmas lights clearly running through trees, and stakes and ropes holding fake reindeer to the ground.

At night it is quite beautiful however - even magical.  All the mechanics disappear and only the pretty aspects shine through.

The religious aspect is exactly the opposite.  It seems silly and gaudy to those "in the dark" if you will allow me the use of that phrase for the sake of analogy, but in the Light, it is beautiful, inspiring, and healing.

All that being said, if you are going to dump Christ out of Christmas (Christ's Mass Day,) it seems to me we could come up something a little better.  Christmas without Christ is just senseless gong banging, bother, and bad music.

It certainly in does not conform to our evolving popular culture, which tries to scrape all of the icing off of the Christian holiday while throwing out the cake.  Unfortunately the icing doesn't make sense without the cake - all the flowers, writing, and decoration just turn into a colorful menagerie.  

The Church has been accused of taking a pagan holiday and "baptizing" it into the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  It was a natural progression of belief to something higher.  There was an idea in paganism that grew to its limit and needed to be transformed into the thing toward which it was pointing.  It blossomed into a belief in the One True God Who would be the Savior of the World (otherwise Christianity would never have taken off.)  Now our Western culture, ever on the lookout for the new and sheik, wants to back out of this development by gutting out of it that which gave it meaning in the first place.

Now, I know those who are on this path do not see it this way in much the same way as I don't see faith in the same way that such persons might suppose Christians must think.  But it seems to me that I am on a much surer path.  Culturally it seems that we are trying to remove the deepest meaning of everything in order to bring equality to all - holidays, the meaning of marriage, the humanity of persons in the womb just to name a few.  It seems to me, however, that the less dignity and worth and awe and belief we have in something greater and more beautiful and truer than ourselves we have, the less we value anything outside of ourselves, and our wants and desires.  

But there is reason for hope here.  This is the EXACT culture in which the faith first took root.  The faith began in a culture of sexual excess and confusion, abortion, war, power hungry politicians, capitol punishment, neglect of the poor and ill and persecution of those who called themselves Christian.  But the faith still grew and rose until even the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire felt he needed to become Christian in order to hold his power.  All that was needed - and all that is needed - is for individual men and women to boldly live their faith well.  So Happy Advent!

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER!

Despite what the retail stores may tell you or past experiences of Christmas may lead one to believe, It is STILL Christmas even if only for a few extra hours this year.  Granted, this Sunday may have normally been the last Sunday of Christmas but because of this year's slightly odd schedule and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord being bumped off Sunday so that we can celebrate the Epiphany (which was bumped off of the 6th,) we will celebrate the His Baptism on Monday, so, according to the Ordo on Monday, January 9th, "After the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Ordinary Time begins."

Volunteers stood ready to start taking the sanctuary apart and a few parishioners inquired about adopting some poinsettias.

I will admit however that it is FAR easier to take down Christmas on Sunday afternoon than on Monday afternoon.  So perhaps I cheated.  A little.  I had some friends over on Sunday who helped me disassemble some of the rectory.  Evidence of this can be seen by the trail of the Christmas tree tinsel from my office to the trash enclosure.

Even Sebastian tried to snitch on me.

I think it is awesome to color inside the lines with the liturgical calendar.  There is something magical about coming in for the First Sunday of Advent and seeing a parish church different from what it was in Ordinary Time.  There is something awe inspiring to NOT see Christmas half set up on the Fourth Sunday of Advent but to walk in on Christmas Day and have your heart say, "WOW!" at the transformation.  Equally, there are those (and I DO understand, I just don't agree) who think the poinsettias look pretty, and being just flowers, should be left up for awhile even after the Christmas season is over.  But as soon as the whistle blows ending Christmas, I try to get them out of sight in order to advertise to the community symbolically that Christmas is absolutely over now and we are in ordinary time.  

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CCCLXXIII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "Truth is like poetry.  And most people (*) hate poetry."  from the movie The Big Short

QUOTE II: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”  same source by attributed to Mark Twain.

IN OTHER NEWS:

If you were at our Lessons and Carols or the 4PM Christmas Mass you heard this amazing you man play our organ.  But that is only part of the story.  Read more HERE.

Here is St. Sebastian as people started coming in for the 7PM vigil.

This is me trying to remain alert and awake on Christmas Eve.  I just got a text from someone saying, "I think you should keep you Lumber Liturgical look until Easter."  I am inclined that way but my sister is campaigning otherwise.

 Fr. K. got me these glasses.  They should help with the problem noted in yesterday's post.

Pop some popcorn and reserve the television.  Mother Thomas (and I) will air on WVIZ on January 6 at 8:30 p.m! It will also be published online and featured on other Ideastream channels.

Think this is my all time favorite (secular) Christmas carol:

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: MERRY CHRISTMAS

So the 4:00 and the 7:00PM Christmas Masses are over and now there is nothing to do but stay awake until it is time for midnight Mass (which at this parish is at midnight.)  But what to do to fill those hours?  Dinner is eaten, presents are wrapped and ready, homilies are prepared, and there is not enough time to go anywhere.  A nap would be disastrous as I would be groggy all through the Mass.

Luckily we had a seminarian staying with us and we decided to watch a movie.  A good half hour was taken up with this useless exercise:

It seemed as though we might burn through all of the remaining hours until midnight viewing titles, viewing trailers, and rejecting everything.  But then THIS happened:

Good enough for me!

I'd not seen it before!

It looked interesting!

It would eat up just the right amount of time.

And - no kidding - THIS was almost the first scene:

It was like the time I invited priests and young men over to the rectory and we had an evening to encourage vocations.  At the end of the evening we were going to watch a movie.  There was one with a GREAT spiritual meaning and no nudity or cussing (that any of us could remember.)  So we put it on and the VERY FIRST WORD  spoken in the movie was a guy screaming in the most drawn out way possible the F-bomb.

HOW COULD NONE OF US REMEMBER THAT?

"Guys, please don't tell you parents what movie we watched unless they ask."

I guess it was the same thing here.

And before he could finish his sentence:

Ah well.  Merry Christmas.

STILL LOOKING - STILL PROCRASTINATING

Today Christmas trees and wreaths are being placed around the church.

Today I continue my writhing over my Christmas homilies.

*sigh*

Yesterday I was blessed to visit with the good sisters at the Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, Ohio.  Sitting in the kitchen while they busied about their duties I asked them if they had any ideas for Christmas homilies.  Here are some:

“You know, Mary didn’t have time to get the manger ready, but the manger would have to greet the Christ Child just the same.  Even though we are so busy and may feel unprepared, we must greet him with what we have.”

 “Mary didn’t have time to ‘nest.’”  (I think I get what that means.)  “Invite her and the Holy Family to nest in your heart, to find rest, comfort, and time to ‘be’ in your heart.”

I’m not sure I’m the best one to talk about nesting though.

“God gives us this longing as a gift a Christmas.  We try to fill it with all kinds of things and when all of the commotion and distractions cease, we may feel a bit of a let down if we have not filled they cradle sized space in our hearts with the Christ child.”

Pretty good stuff guys.  I’ll let it marinate a little while longer while I avoid writing again by posting your ideas.

THANKS!

MONDAY DIARY: A NEW ADVENT TRADITION

No Shave November is quickly coming to an end.  My beard, not having been this long since college, is coming in full if not a little grayer than I remember it in the 80s.  So much for memory.

Marcy sent the picture below of the two well bristled manly chaps with their hairy chops done up for Christmas.

I did not find it humorous.  Beards are far too serious a thing to be done up so.  It gives in to the whole notion of Santa Clause and the commercialization of this Holy Day.  Let us remember that the original story on which this day is based contained many beards too.  St. Joseph is oft depicted follicularly decked out and fashionably trimmed.  And heaven knows that those rough and tumble shepherds who spent so much time out in the fields (at night for goodness sake) did not get up early in the morning before moving the sheep to greener pastures and grab a can of Bermashave, walk down to the outhouse with mirror in hand and scrape the stubble off of their chins so that the sheep might be impressed.  Even the goats and possibly the ass in the manger had beards.  Beards are holy.  Beards are Scriptural.  Beards are intimately tied to the whole Christmas story.

So here is my pushback.  The THREE KINGS (+ one camel) BEARD!   

Talk about imperial beards!  Talk about the royal stubble that proceeded this august personages leading them to the manger.  This advent these wise men and their camel shall be led by my beard during my sojourn to seek out the Christ Child at Christmas until, coming to the manger at Christmas at last, I shall remove them and place them at  next the Divine Babe in Arms.

However, I think I may not use paps clips with such heavy ornaments.

HOW IS MARRIAGE LIKE CHRISTMAS?

I was out walking Sebastian this morning and a jogger stopped to say thanks to the Church for keeping Christmas alive throughout the Christmas seasons.  “I can’t believe how many trees I’ve already seen on the devil strip!”  

On the other hand, Sebastian was in need of a long walk last night after my duties were done and so we took a long night walk and I was very proud of my neighborhood as the number of lights and trees that we did see gave testimony that there are still some people out there who get it.

My jogging friend (who is always great for giving me things about which to mull over) said, “Christmas should be more like art.  The muse gives you inspiration and you contemplate the work, then you have the gift as the art is brought to life, and then you live in the presence.”

That is an apt expression of the Church’s liturgical life during this season.  Advent is the time to anticipate.  The Gift comes on Christmas day, and then we live in the presence of Christmas until the Baptism of the Lord when His public ministry begins.

As a society though, we eat most of the sugar first (trees, decorations, lights, good, parties,) have a duller moment of gift, and then are ready to go on a diet once the actual Christmas season begins.  

Does this not seem to mimic how society celebrates married life?  Traditionally it’s, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the couple with the baby carriage.”  But very often today first comes the sugar: living together and practicing married life without being in the season of marriage.  Then there is the duller moment of gift - there will be no firsts.  Besides the exchange of vows, life will continue as it did the month before with possible exception of a change in name.  Than it’s back to life as usual.  

I think there is something to be said for delayed satisfaction.  (It's no guarantee mind you, but I believe the odds are in its favor.): The season of anticipation, hoping, dreaming, longing - terrible, terrible longing.  The gift then is so much sweater!  At last!  Relief!  Satisfaction!  Satiation!  And THEN we settle in for an extra long season of living in the presence.  Of gratefulness.   

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: THE LAST OF THE CHRISTMAS DAY DUTIES

Of the Christmas Day duties, this is one of the bitter sweet activities.

It's that time of year when the Christmas proposals start calling for wedding appointments.

MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON

Because people try to be helpful and adjust the sound system, usually causing us to have to hire a company to come out and retune to whole system for a LOT of money I put this sign on the front of the cabinet:

It didn't work.

Someone got in and switched RECORD to PLAY BACK and so we didn't get to record our Christmas homilies.  The happy thing about this is that it gives me something to post.  First is roughly my Midnight Mass homily.  (It was updated a bit on the hard copy.)

Merry Christmas to you,

and I know, not only is it the Christmas season,

it is also the season of Star Wars

but I beg your indulgence for a moment

because I was to say something about Star Trek.

In particular, Star Trek V

Considered the worst Star Trek ever made.

The one that almost finished the franchise.

Legend was

that coming up on the 25th anniversary of the inception of Star Trek

that, flying on the success of Star Trek IV

they were discussing a possible plot line for the next movie

But whatever it was, it had to be really, really big!

What hadn’t they seen yet?

What hadn’t they done yet?

What would be so big that 

it would blow everything else out of the water.

And supposedly someone said,

How about the Starship Enterprise travels to the very center of the universe

and Kirk, and Spock, and Bones and the whole crew meet God.

And apparently William Shatner said,

“No, It’s really gotta be big!”

(if that isn't true, it should be.)

So, in a similar way,

 my priest friends and I 

were having a lively discussion this past week

about what we would homilize about for Christmas

and there was the usual bag of tricks:

1. God is born a man

2. Virgin Mary & the fulfilling of ancient prophecies 

3. Angels singing & shepherds 

4. The beginning of our redemption

5. The healing of our nature

And we said, “No, it’s really gotta be something big and more exciting!”

But of course all of that IS big,

HUGE

EARTH SHATTERING

ETERNITY IS ALTERED

THE UNIVERSE CHANGED

It is absolutely beautiful.

The problem is we get used to it.

We are rich with it.

We can spend it freely because we are so immersed in it like the great lakes - 

It’s hard to get excited about water when you are swimming in it.

Though to others in the world - maybe in the desert

there would be nothing greater.

So it might be a beneficial thing to do

to put ourselves in a spiritual desert as it were

in order to remember the awe and beauty of this night.

TRY SOMETHING XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I want to tell you a story that I heard on the radio the other day:

(On this American Life)

There is a man named Jose Migel Socola (sp?)

and he own an ad agency in Columbia (south America)

And they work on projects for products you would expect:

Dog food

bug repellent

But in his country there is civil unrest.

There has been war between the government and gorilla fighters

for as long as he has been alive.

The gorillas are everything you think of when it comes to an army:

they live in the jungle

they wear fatigues

and they are heavily, heavily armed.

The government of Columbia hired his ad agency

to try to help bring an end to the war

by getting the gorillas to de-mobilize, stop fighting.

They tried a number of things over the years

until one of them noticed that they were always most successful

at Christmas . . . and so they divided a plan for Christmas 2010

called OPERATION CHRISTMAS

They went into the jungle

and found gigantic fir trees - 75’ tall

and the decorated it with thousands of Christmas lights - 

A gigantic Christmas tree in the middle of the jungle.

There was a sign that lit up when the gorillas would walk by

and it said,

“IF XMAS CAN COME TO THE JUNGLE, YOU CAN COME HOME.  AT CHRISTMAS, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

There were not presents, no parties, no family, 

just the promise of Christmas.

and about 5% of the fighters demobilized,

and went back to their families.

“The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light:

upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom

a light has shone.”

The next year at Christmas they had “OPERATION RIVER OF LIGHT”

The gorillas the had demobilized the previous year

informed them that,

“You know, we may have lived in the jungle,

but we rarely walked through it.

The real highways of the jungle are the the rivers.”

So they designed the plastic balls,

about the size of softballs

and at night they glowed purple.

They then went to the villages and had people write Christmas notes,

or donate a trinket of some sort,

and the put these inside the glowing balls

which had clear tops so that you could see what was inside,

and then at Christmas

they let 7,000 of these glowing balls loose in the river.

Can you imagine what a beautiful sight that must have been,

In the dark, dark jungle,

thousands of purple glowing balls lazily floating down the river

bringing tidings of great joy.

“You have brought them abundant joy

and great rejoicing

as they rejoice before as at the harvest,

as people make merry when

dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them,

the pole on their shoulders

and the rod of their taskmaster

you have smashed as on the day of Midian.”

The next year was OPERATION BETHLEHEM.

The next year there were no lights in the jungle at all.

The jungle remained absolutely dark.

Instead,

the lights were put in the villages - 

these lights were powerful spot lights that shown straight up into the air.

I giant been

reminiscent of the light that they put in New York City

to pay tribute to where the Word Trade Towers had been

right after 9/11

But there were signs in the jungle again,

and they said this:

“THIS CHRISTMAS FOLLOW THE LIGHT THAT LEADS YOU HOME”

“For every boot that trampled in battle

every cloak rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a chid is born to us,

a son is given us:

upon his shoulders dominion rests.

They name Him Wonder-Counselor,

God-HERO

Prince of Peace

His dominion is vast

and forever peaceful

from David’s throne

and over His kingdom

which He confirms and sustains

by judgement and justice,

both now and forever.

The zeal of the Lord will do this!”

This is the Christmas message

not just for those lost on the darkness of jungle

and the terrors of war:

but for us

who at times are equally lost

in the darkness of our sin and fear,

in the distraction of work, traffic, obligations, worries, and seemingly endless duties:

If Christmas can come to you in the city

You can come home to Jesus

Follow His light that leads you home

At Christmas, anything is possible.

It has become a standing tradition at St. Sebastian that the homily at the 4:00 Christmas Vigil Mass at which many children come be done in rhyme.  This year's rhyme is based on the story, "The Burglar's Christmas" by Elizabeth L. Seymour.  You can find the original HERE.  (Believe me, I know that rhymes are not great!)

Twas the Christmas Vigil Mass

And I know, very soon!

Everyone here will be asleep

Beneath a freakishly warm, late December moon.

Each and every child

in good ole’ West Akron

will be beneath sheets

of 50% cotton, 50% Dacron.

Sebastian dreams 

of squeaky toys in his teeth

And LeBron James dreams of Christmas free throws 

going through Christmas wreaths

The blimp is all nestled 

in its air dock

And the Swenson runners

are all off the clock.

All was as still

and quite, and sweet

Except for one man

walking down Mull Street.

He grew up  here

and went to our school

Played in Forest Lodge

and swam at the JCC pool.

But many years ago 

he took off in flight

and hadn’t been back

till this very night.

He was hungry!  So hungry

and down on his luck

All the change in his pocket 

didn’t equal a buck.

So on Christmas Eve night

foreswearing peace and goodwill

He crafted of plan

That bode nothing but ill

He’d fallen, he knew

to a particular low

but to become the Christmas thief?

Now that was a blow.

He’d given away 

his self-respect

Devised a plan

about whose Christmas he’d wreck.

He spotted a house

with poor locks and no dog,

broke in with ease

and his eyes went agog.

Here were presents

and wealth beyond all measure

a house unguarded

to rob at his leisure.

He filled his pockets

with all he could find

and with it, tomorrow

he’d have food and good wine.

When all of a sudden

the room went quite white.

Some light sleeper awoke

and turned on the light!

“James!” cried a woman

her hand on the switch

“You’ve come home for Christmas!”

Her joy fever pitch.

Our thief’s stomach clenched,

for while he’d be gone

his parents had moved

and he’d broke into their home!

His Mother embraced him

gave kisses and blessings

His wirey body

to her bosom pressing

“You don’t understand!”

James’ eyes steel blue

“That this house was yours

I hadn’t a clue!”

“I came here to rob you

See in what I’m indulging?

With your jewelry and money

my pockets are bulging!

A thought about you

I couldn’t spare

about what I wanted

was the source of my care

Don’t be silly said she

“This you can’t do

how can you steal 

what already belongs to you?”

“You don’t understand,”

(he had a tear in his eye.)

“Ah but I do,”

was her simple reply.

“Look at this manger

and the baby within

who came to save us

who were lost in sin.

He showed even me 

His mercy when

I was young and

far less virtuous had been.

If this is His gift to me

on His birthday

how much more should I

His generosity repay?

So as He showed us mercy,

And I mercy you,

Now vow to be generous

with mercy too.

To pass on the gift

granted this holy night

that causes sin

to take quick flight.

So 

Here is a lesson

for this Christmas night

that where there is darkness,

you be Christ’s light.

Let those know

who far from him roam

that he waits in a manger

to welcome them home.

For the love that you know

that He brings you this day

You must pass on to those 

who come your way.

For all of your darkness

He can turn into light

and with that I wish you

a Holy Christmas night!