The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in the liturgical cycle of the Divine Office, officially brings the Christmas Season to a close.
Among many things, here at the Abbey, this means the Christmas lights and decorations are taken down and packed away for another year.
We are always the last ones on the street and even the entire area to still have the lights going a week after New Years.
I always feel a bit sad having to turn off the Christmas lights.
It always looks so dark afterwards.
It's almost as if, for a few weeks once a year, even those of little faith or not of the Faith unwittingly participate in displaying the Light of Christ, even if only through otherwise secular and commercial means.
In my area, the inflatable yard decorations are the popular thing - eight foot tall Santas, snowmen, nutcrackers, Nativitys, Charlie Brown & Peanuts characters and the Grinch - abound.
Some folks display their Christian Faith more profoundly with lights that spell out "Happy Birthday Jesus".
It's a lot of fun and pretty to look at.
Lights shining in the darkness.
And then they all go out.
And the houses and the streets are dark once again.
Of course the Christmas Cards we send and receive encourage us with sentiments of keeping the Spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts throughout the year.
I wonder how many of us actually do that.
More often than not, I suspect most of us give no further thought to Christmas or any spirit thereof until we see the Christmas decorations go up on display in the retail stores after the Halloween decorations come down.
That's the consumer trend.
The Christian 'trend' is different.
Especially if one participates in the liturgical cycle of the Church.
We move with Christ from His Birth to His Baptism, from the Manger to the waters of Jordan, to the first miracle at the Wedding in Cana, the beginning of His earthly ministry, and on to the season of Lent and Pascha.
The sanctification of time.
Even in the in-between seasons called 'Ordinary Time', there is always something happening because Christ's life is always happening in us and through us. We eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as often as we do and we have His Life within us in every season and at all times.
The Christmas lights may go out but His Light in us never goes out.
And we need to make sure (as far as it depends on us) this Light is visible and perceptible.
Christ's Incarnation, Birth, Baptism, every event and season of His Life as well as those who shared in it - our Lady Theotokas, His Mother and our Mother - the Apostles, disciples and Saints, His brothers and friends - our brothers and friends.
All of this Life and Light has happened, is happening, and we must remember and keep it ever in mind, while driving to work or shopping in Walmart.
Christians should never be people who need retail reminders.
We should not be people who say, "I’m so glad Christmas is over".
Nothing is over. It is ever beginning, ever continuing. Never ending.
"Christ is bathed in light" writes St. Gregory of Nazianzus, "let us also be bathed in light.
Christ is baptized; let us also go down with Him and rise with Him.
Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the light of Him Who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received - though not in its fullness - a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen."
The Christmas lights have been turned off but we have been bathed in the light of the Incarnation.
The Christmas tree ornaments have been packed away but we are decorated with a ray of Theophany.
We’ve stopped singing Christmas Carols but we must never stop singing ‘Glory to God in the Highest’.
Keep shining!
Keep singing!
The darkness can’t stand it!
Among many things, here at the Abbey, this means the Christmas lights and decorations are taken down and packed away for another year.
We are always the last ones on the street and even the entire area to still have the lights going a week after New Years.
I always feel a bit sad having to turn off the Christmas lights.
It always looks so dark afterwards.
It's almost as if, for a few weeks once a year, even those of little faith or not of the Faith unwittingly participate in displaying the Light of Christ, even if only through otherwise secular and commercial means.
In my area, the inflatable yard decorations are the popular thing - eight foot tall Santas, snowmen, nutcrackers, Nativitys, Charlie Brown & Peanuts characters and the Grinch - abound.
Some folks display their Christian Faith more profoundly with lights that spell out "Happy Birthday Jesus".
It's a lot of fun and pretty to look at.
Lights shining in the darkness.
And then they all go out.
And the houses and the streets are dark once again.
Of course the Christmas Cards we send and receive encourage us with sentiments of keeping the Spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts throughout the year.
I wonder how many of us actually do that.
More often than not, I suspect most of us give no further thought to Christmas or any spirit thereof until we see the Christmas decorations go up on display in the retail stores after the Halloween decorations come down.
That's the consumer trend.
The Christian 'trend' is different.
Especially if one participates in the liturgical cycle of the Church.
We move with Christ from His Birth to His Baptism, from the Manger to the waters of Jordan, to the first miracle at the Wedding in Cana, the beginning of His earthly ministry, and on to the season of Lent and Pascha.
The sanctification of time.
Even in the in-between seasons called 'Ordinary Time', there is always something happening because Christ's life is always happening in us and through us. We eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as often as we do and we have His Life within us in every season and at all times.
The Christmas lights may go out but His Light in us never goes out.
And we need to make sure (as far as it depends on us) this Light is visible and perceptible.
Christ's Incarnation, Birth, Baptism, every event and season of His Life as well as those who shared in it - our Lady Theotokas, His Mother and our Mother - the Apostles, disciples and Saints, His brothers and friends - our brothers and friends.
All of this Life and Light has happened, is happening, and we must remember and keep it ever in mind, while driving to work or shopping in Walmart.
Christians should never be people who need retail reminders.
We should not be people who say, "I’m so glad Christmas is over".
Nothing is over. It is ever beginning, ever continuing. Never ending.
"Christ is bathed in light" writes St. Gregory of Nazianzus, "let us also be bathed in light.
Christ is baptized; let us also go down with Him and rise with Him.
Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the light of Him Who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received - though not in its fullness - a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen."
The Christmas lights have been turned off but we have been bathed in the light of the Incarnation.
The Christmas tree ornaments have been packed away but we are decorated with a ray of Theophany.
We’ve stopped singing Christmas Carols but we must never stop singing ‘Glory to God in the Highest’.
Keep shining!
Keep singing!
The darkness can’t stand it!
No comments:
Post a Comment