[Pearls Ep 151: Carrying Christmas into the week.]
Merry Christmas!
Hopefully you had a wonderful Christmas and wish it didn’t have to come to an end.
Or, perhaps, Christmas day has come and gone and it seems that something was missing; that it didn’t live up to expectations.
It’s good to remind ourselves that the Church, in her wisdom, sets aside 12 days for the Christmas season – the period from Christmas Day to the celebration of Epiphany (the arrival of the wisemen).
The original celebration of 12 days of the Christmas goes back to antiquity (the meaning of the symbology that was eventually associated with the 12 Days of Christmas is presented in the postscript). Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” was inspired by the Christmas season. The last day of Christmas (the Twelfth Night) was a day of raucous celebration (think Mardi Gras), often including “upside down” parties where people engaged in roll reversal (servants became masters and so on), and no small amount of mockery of the royalty.
Underlying the traditions and symbols is the simple but important message that Christmas is meant to be savored. It is as if God is saying, “what I’ve done is too grand, too monumental, to capture in one day of celebration.”
So we pray that God’s plan for your Christmas continues to unfold during the 12 days of Christmas. Even as the world moves on from Christmas to New Years and then to the first week of January, we are called to find ways to connect with Christmas each day – that is the key for our interior life.
Perhaps take whatever aspect of Christmas is most special to you, and return to that each day as a way to celebrate God’s astounding act of love – the infinite and eternal Second Person of the Trinity being born into a fully human life.
Who would have seen that coming?
Or, as Mr. Shakespeare puts it in Twelfth Night, “Love sought is good, but giv’n unsought is better.”
Amen.
Christmas blessings –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: Symbols of the 12 Days of Christmas
In 16th century England Catholicism was declared unlawful and much of the public celebration of the 12 days of Christmas was brought to a close. But Catholics quietly retained the tradition and added to it the now-familiar symbology of the 12 Days of Christmas to pass on Catholic theology without persecution. This nice summary is from Dynamic Catholic:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree: Jesus.
Two Turtle Doves: The Old and New Testaments.
Three French Hens: The Three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love.
Four Calling Birds: The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Five Golden Rings: The First Five Books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Six Geese A-Laying: The Six Days of Creation.
Seven Swans A-Swimming: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Eight Maids A-Milking: The Eight Beatitudes-
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
- Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Nine Ladies Dancing: The Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Ten Lords A-Leaping: The Ten Commandments –
- I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange gods before me.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Eleven Pipers Piping: The Eleven Faithful Apostles: Peter, Andrew, James the Elder, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the Younger, Simon, and Jude.
Twelve Drummers Drumming: Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed-
- I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
- I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
- He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
- He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
- On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
- He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
- I believe in the Holy Spirit,
- the holy catholic Church,
- the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and life everlasting. Amen.