Christmas Message

Tomorrow, being the Fourth Sunday in Advent, proposes a complication among faithful Catholics who abide by the Church's rule of law - Christmas is coming soon, so lots of time at church! In the next couple of days, we will be thrown into the next busiest time of the liturgical year than Holy Week itself - the transition from Advent to Christmas. Christmas Eve is the day after the Fourth Sunday in Advent with the Twelve Days of Christmas following the next day. On top of that, the feast days of many of important saints (Saint Stephen, the Holy Innocents, Mary Mother of God (Theotokos), etc, etc, etc. To add to all of this, Epiphany is just around the corner. 

As the Advent Season ends and the Twelve Days of Christmas begin, I ask that through all the holiday celebrations, the arguments with distant cousins you dare only see at your grandmother's, the necessary usage of "fat pants" due to the amounts of food consumed, the merriment of the season, that you truly reflect upon the coming and birth of the Second part of the Most Holy Trinity, God the Son, the Incarnate Word, Christ the Lord. But do not just reflect upon his most sacred birth but his passion as well! 

Why, you might ask, would I say you should reflect upon the Passion of Christ during this most festive season? It was because of that act on Calvary that Our Lord and Savior came to earth to be born. Our blessed Lord came to this earth to be crowned His dutiful crown that was necessary for the salvation of all man-kind in all ages. When we go to mass on Christmas Eve and Day, the entire life of Christ is so vividly brought to the forefront of any learned Catholic - Christ's birth, life, ministry, Passion, and His resurrection. To not reflect on the totality of Christ's life, particularly His Passion, would be in disconnect to Christ's full purpose of His most sacred birth! It is "Christ-Mas(s)" after all! ;D