April 24, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Resurrection Scars

Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal? – Elton John, Daniel

It’s funny, sometimes, how things come together.  Due to the interest of some people, I began hosting a discussion after the 10:00 service following coffee hour; I guess you could call it a “Rector’s Forum,” but it’s really a discussion covering a variety of topics.  Since we’re in the Easter season I thought I’d start with the various resurrection stories found in the four gospels and Acts. 

This past Sunday we looked at Luke.  There’s a scene where Jesus appears to the disciples and, in order to prove he’s really Jesus, he shows them the wounds on his hands and feet.  I said that, according to the gospel accounts, resurrection apparently doesn’t give you a shiny, new body, but it does allow your body to be healed of the damage that caused those scars.  My multiple scars tell a story, and that story isn’t erased at resurrection.

Last Saturday Joelene and I took a sightseeing drive and the above song played on the radio.  Sunday night those lyrics popped into my head in the aftermath of our discussion.  I wondered, “How many of us carry the wounds of scars that won’t heal?  How many of us live with the hope that resurrection will wipe it all away?”  If the gospels are to be believed, resurrection doesn’t erase the scars, but it does heal the pain.

On Monday, one of my online friends (who happens to be Jewish) posted a link to an article about Passover in which the author, Rabbi Shai Held, asks the question, “What do we do with our pain?  What, if anything, can we learn from it?” 

His answer:  The Bible offers a startling and potentially transformative response – Let your memory teach you empathy and your suffering teach you love.  I think this is actually a very Jesus-y thing to say, especially in light of how he suffered and forgave those who tortured and executed him.

Rabbi Held points out that, too often, we allow our pain and suffering to turn into rage and hostility.  “But,” he says, “Holy Scripture teaches another way, that we must allow it to teach us to forgive and care for others.”

This is the message of the resurrection:  that our scars aren’t wiped clean, but that our scars remind us of our pain so that in our resurrection we live a new life of forgiveness and love. 

May we take the first steps in the here and now to live into that life of resurrection where our scars help us to live with love and empathy.

April 17, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Vive la Difference

This past Sunday’s gospel came from Luke 24:36b-48.  In this particular post-resurrection story Jesus appears among the disciples and says, “Peace be with you.”  The disciples are terrified, and Jesus then says, “Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself.”  And after saying this, he shows them his hands and his feet.  He then commissions them to proclaim the good news beginning in Jerusalem.

The Sunday before this we heard from John 29:19-31.  In that post resurrection story, we see Jesus appear among the disciples and saying, “Peace be with you,” and he shows them his hands and his side.  After this he commissions the disciples by sending them out as the Father has sent him.  Thomas, though, was not with them.  We then hear the second half of the story when Thomas is with them, Jesus appears again, and shows him his hands and side.

These two stories are the same but different, and that’s important.

I was watching some crime show a few weeks ago and one of the investigators said, “If I’m interviewing several persons of interest and they all tell me the exact same story, they’re lying; because only lies which have been rehearsed are repeated verbatim.”

I’ve heard people say they don’t believe the gospel stories because they don’t match up.  Were there guards at the tomb or weren’t there?  Was it Mary Magdalene and Mary who went to the tomb, or was it Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome?  Or maybe it was Mary Magdalene, Mary, Joanna, and other women?  Or was it just Mary Magdalene?  Did they tell anyone or not?  And on and on and on.

But these differences tell me that there is a central Truth to the resurrection stories and the gospels as a whole.  Because if all four gospels agreed verbatim on the same story, then they, like the persons of interest above, would be lying.

So the next time you’re worried about the gospels not agreeing on every aspect of their story and wonder whether or not they are true, remember that stories that match up verbatim are often lies created in an effort to hide something.  In this case, the differences really do lead to the Truth.

Blessings,

April 10, 2024

Resurrection is Hard Work

Have you ever thought about resurrection?  Really sat down and thought about it?

I think for most of us, myself included, we go through Holy Week experiencing the somberness of Maundy Thursday, the trauma of Good Friday, the hopelessness of Holy Saturday, and the ultimate joy of Easter without really thinking about resurrection.

Sure, Easter comes and we have the celebration.  The church is decorated with flowers.  The hangings have been changed to white.  The crosses are unveiled.  The Paschal candle stands bright.  We say or shout, “Alleluia!” and sing hymns of joy.  Christ is risen!  The tomb is empty.  These are all good and joyful things.

But resurrection is hard.

In both Luke and John, Jesus asks for some fish which he eats in the presence of the disciples.  On the one hand, this was done to prove that he wasn’t a ghost or some other apparition.  These stories were also used to combat the Gnostics, but that’s another topic.  Besides proving he was real, I’ve always thought one reason for eating the fish was because resurrection was hard work and it took a lot out of him.  Consequently, Jesus was hungry.

But resurrection is also hard for us.  In baptism we say that we are buried with Christ in his death.  By it we share in his resurrection.  Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.  We say that we are cleansed from sin and born again.  We believe that we are being changed from glory to glory.  And we agree with Paul who said, “our old self was crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin.”

But actually living into that resurrection life is more difficult than we sometimes think.  During the Easter season we proclaim a life of resurrection, but we still treat others badly, we still refuse to be gracious to those who have offended us in some way, we still commit sins of omission and commission, we still insist on acting in selfish ways because we only see limited resources, and the list goes on. 

The tomb is empty.  Christ is risen.  We are living a life of resurrection.  But that is, apparently, not as easy as it sounds.

This Easter season, may you find ways to do the hard work of resurrection.

April 3, 2024

Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!

After the somberness of Lent, after the pain of Palm/Passion Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, after the emptiness of Holy Saturday, we arrive at the tomb on the first day of the week at early dawn to find it empty, and we are greeted with the question, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

In the darkness the fire was kindled; that light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Faced with an empty tomb, light in the darkness, the recollection of God’s saving deeds through history, and the renewal of our baptismal vows, the only proper response to be made is, “Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!  The Lord is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!”

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.  This is the day Christ broke the bonds of sin and death.  This is the day we celebrate promises fulfilled.  This is the day we know life is changed, not ended.  This is the day of Resurrection.  This is Easter.

Over the next month and a half or so, let us celebrate that victory.  Let us proclaim with a joyful voice that Christ is risen from the grave.  Let us rejoice that death is conquered and we are free.  Let us join with Christ, and invite others to join, in that wonderful heavenly banquet celebrating the vanquishing of hell and our new life.

Good Christians all, rejoice and sing – The Lord is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

March 27, 2024

This is a hard week. 

Sunday started with the singing of, “All glory, laud, and honor,” and quickly moved to shouting, “Crucify him!”

The Daily Collects this week refer to the way of the cross and death as a way of life and peace; ask that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of Jesus; remind us that Jesus gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon; recall his willingness to be betrayed; and ask us to wait while the body of Jesus lay in a tomb. 

This is a hard week.

For most of the year we celebrate Christ’s victory over death.  We practice hope.  We remember that life is changed, not ended.  But this week is different.

This week we betray Jesus.  This week we join with a blood-thirsty mob and shout, “Crucify him!”  This week we watch from a safe distance as Jesus is beaten, whipped, and hung on a cross to die.  This week we let someone else place his body in a tomb, because we are afraid of being associated with him.  This week we wonder if hope dies.  This week we wonder if life is not changed, but simply ends.

This is a hard week.

Let us bless the Lord.

March 13, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Secret Faults

Who can tell how often he offends? * cleanse me from my secret faults. – Ps. 19:12

Ps. 19 was the appointed psalm for Lent III.  It’s a good one for Lent, as it offers a variety of verses that can be meditated on and prayed with during this season of self-examination.  If you are still looking for a Lenten discipline, or if your original discipline went by the wayside and you want to pick something up, may I suggest reading and meditating on Psalm 19?

As I was sitting in church that Sunday reciting this psalm, I began to think:  How often have I/do I offend God or others?  Sure, the big ones are easy to identify:  being short-tempered with my family or coworkers; being discourteous or impatient with another person without knowing their story; using God as a weapon; excusing my behavior while blaming others for theirs.

But what are my secret faults?  What are those offensive things I do so often that I can’t keep count?  And are my secret faults faults that I commit when I’m alone so nobody else can see or know about?  Or are they faults I commit that are so concealed to me that only God knows?

One way to cleanse ourselves from secret faults is to get them out in the open, to bring them into the light so that we can address it and say, “I repent of this sin and will work to not commit it again.”  It may be that we do commit that sin again, but by bringing it to light we can deal with it in such a way that those sins will not get dominion over us (Ps. 19 again, verse 13).

Holy Week begins on March 24, and I will be offering time for personal confessions during that week.  What secret faults are troubling you?  What sins do you need to be cleansed from?

Lent is a time for us to make a right beginning.  I pray that you are finding this season prayerful, hopeful, and a time of cleansing so that you may, indeed, make a right beginning as we head into the Easter season.

Blessings, 

March 6, 2024

Wednesday Word:  What Are We Paying Attention To?

We are halfway through Lent, the season of self-examination and repentance; of prayer, fasting, and self-denial.  During this penitential season we make a right beginning by confessing our sins in a more deeply and personal way.  We read the Litany of Penitence on Ash Wednesday, confessing our sins to God, to each other, and to the whole communion of saints.  We begin each Sunday service with the Penitential Order, and the Confession of Sin is one of the first things we do in the liturgy.  On Lent 1, I read the Exhortation which encouraged you to “open your grief to a discreet and understanding priest” so that you may receive the assurance of pardon.

Lent is heavily focused on sin and repentance.

Lent is also focused on growth.  We give up those things that separate us from God and replace them with things that draw us to God.  By doing that, we (hopefully) grow in our relationship with God.  We might take on things that lead us to grow spiritually – praying during specific times of the day, reading Scripture, committing to regular worship attendance, etc.  In the physical world, we see the sun rising earlier and setting later, a physical reminder that light grows and always overcomes the darkness.

But whether we are focusing on our sins or on our growth, Lent is a time of personal reflection.  The Exhortation reminds us to judge ourselves, examine our lives and conduct, and acknowledge our sins.  All too often we focus on the sins of others, their lives and conduct, and make judgements about their worthiness.

Yes, we need to pay attention to where we have sinned and fallen short, and the need for repentance and forgiveness.  But what would happen if, instead of always focusing on the negative, we spent more time focusing on the positive.  What if we spent more time paying attention to the fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

How might we grow both personally and as the faith community of Saint Luke’s if we spent more time focusing on and living into the fruits of the Spirit, rather than the shortcomings of ourselves and others?

Jesus said, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.”  May our hearts pay attention to the good things of God so that our treasure becomes beneficial to all.

February 28, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Different Eyes

Joelene and I were part of our first Youth Group gathering here at Saint Luke’s this past Sunday afternoon.  We had a total of seven kids, which isn’t bad for our first time out.  We spent time learning about our names, what schools they attended, and their interests.  We set norms for the group, ate walking tacos and brownies, and played a game of Bible Pictionary which probably ended in a tie.  We closed out our time together by praying Compline (pg. 127 in the BCP if you’re looking for a good way to end your day).

I also asked if they were comfortable giving me their contact information so we could keep in touch with events and reminders.  A few of them even asked if they could sign up to receive emails from the church so they could participate in Lent Madness. 

All in all, it was a good time.

On Monday I put together a Youth Group email group so that I could just type SLEC YG in the “To” box without having to type each individual email.  After doing that, I went to send my first email to the group . . . and only two names came up.  I put much more than two into the group, but that's all that ever came up.  I spent 30 – 40 minutes trying to figure out what was going on; but no matter what I did, I only had two people in the group.  I finally called tech support, and Monica came into my office.

After showing her what was going on, she said, “You don’t have emails for those other people.”

And there it was, clear as day . . . I had only entered emails for two people in the group.  After updating each contact, I found that I had the right number of people in the group.

Sometimes it just takes a different set of eyes to see the problem.  Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see differently.

This Lent, as we work to make a right-beginning, as we examine ourselves, our conduct, and our practices, and as we spend time in prayer, fasting, and study, what is something that you have seen in a new way because somebody else showed you a different way of seeing?  What is something old and familiar that you’ve seen in a new way?

May we always be open to seeing God and ourselves in new ways.

February 21, 2024

Wednesday Word:  In

Have you ever thought about the word, In?  It’s such a small word – one syllable, two letters.  But despite its smallness, it can hold multiple meanings and it serves as a preposition, noun, adjective, and adverb.

If you’ve picked up a Lenten devotional from the church, you will see that in holds a special place today.  The theme of today’s meditation is on gratitude, and the author quotes a passage from 1 Thessalonians that reads in part:  “give thanks in all circumstances.”  They point out that this doesn’t necessarily mean giving thanks FOR all circumstances, but IN all circumstances.

As an example:  when a parent, spouse, child, friend, or beloved pet dies, we do not necessarily give thanks for the circumstances of their death.  We can, however, give thanks in the circumstance of their death for a life well-lived, or a life in which we were able to participate.

You will also see the word IN when we talk about the Sundays in Lent, not the Sundays of Lent.

Lent, as you know, is a season of fasting.  It’s a season when we refrain from eating certain foods to remind us of those in need, or to allow us to re-allocate part of our food budget to certain charities.  It’s a season we refrain from participating in certain activities which, hopefully, creates space for us to spend time in prayer or relationship building.

Sundays, by their very nature, are never days of fasting, but are always considered a feast day.  It’s a day when, if you were/are actually fasting from food, it is allowable to eat.  That doesn’t mean that you get to use Sunday as a day of excess, but it does serve as a kind of reprieve from the austerity of Lent.

I explained this difference once by saying, “It’s like when Paul wrote that, as Christians, we are IN the world, not OF the world.”

As you continue your journey through Lent, pay attention to that word IN.  Are you able to give thanks in all things?  Are you living out your baptismal covenant in a world that has other priorities?  Are you making appropriate space for Christ in your life?

How are you in this season?

Blessings,

February 14, 2024

For those who attended our First Annual Game Night last night, I hope you all had a good time.  For those who missed it, we had a number of games that people brought and played, plenty of snacks, and we even burned some old palms from last year.  It was a fun way to close out the Epiphany season and have our own little Mardi Gras celebration.  That festive feeling, though, now gives way to the penitential season of Lent and the Ash Wednesday services of today.

Today we pray that God will create and make in us new and contrite hearts.  Today we are invited to a season of self-examination and repentance; a season of prayer, fasting, and self-denial; a season of reading and meditating on Holy Scripture; and a season of reconciliation and forgiveness.

On this day we are also reminded of our mortality: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

On this day we are called to make a right beginning.

During this season of Lent, may you find time to explore the wilderness, may you identify that which pulls you away from God and set that aside, may you find that which draws you closer to God and pick that up, may you rend your heart and not your clothing, and may you be restored to wholeness of body, mind, and spirit.

Ash Wednesday Services will be held today at Saint Luke’s at Noon and 6 pm.  Both services will include the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion.

May you have a holy Lent

February 7, 2024

Wednesday Word:  On Death

One day your soul will quit your body . . . all that we do know is that die we shall, and for the most part sooner than we expect. – The Devout Life, St. Francis DeSales

Death is never easy.  Oh, it may be easy for some who die, but not always.  It may be expected and a relief, such as after a long illness.  For those who are left behind, expected or unexpected, death is never easy.

For those of us left behind, we must begin to make a new reality, for what was is no more.  Whether that is daily, weekly, or monthly conversations that can no longer happen, to regular coffee shop visits that are now ended, and everything in between, we are forced to make an adjustment to our lives.  We are forced to recognize that for us, life will and must continue, even though it continues in a form we would rather not adjust to.

While the death of a friend, family member, or even acquaintance leaves a particular empty spot in my life, and while tears are shed and questions asked, I still live in the hope of the resurrection.  This doesn’t mean I don’t weep.  It doesn’t mean I have a Pollyanna view of life and death.  It simply means I live in hope.

Some of my favorite words in the BCP comes from the Proper Preface of the burial service: 

            For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when

            our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place

            eternal in the heavens.

Death comes for us all.  May we weep for lives and loves lost.  May we smile and laugh for lives lived well.  And may we always live in hope.

All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song:  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Todd+ 

January 31, 2024

Wednesday Word – Go, Go, Go

This past Sunday was our Annual Meeting.  We read the reports of the various committees and programs of the parish.  The 2024 budget was presented.  We elected three new Vestry members (Perry Smith, Charlotte Velasquez, and Tom Berry) and approved one more (Bob Kessler) who will fill the unexpired term of Mike Hanson who had to resign last year.  We also elected a Convention Delegate and Alternate (Monica Smith and Linda Clark).

Pam, Jo Ann, Monica, and others spent a good amount of time preparing for the Annual Meeting and we were all rewarded with good food, good company, and a meeting that stayed on course accomplishing what we needed to get done.

Now that the Annual Meeting is over, my attention has turned to Lent and Holy Week.

As you’ve seen in a number of places, this upcoming season holds a number of opportunities for worship, prayer, and contemplation.  We are once again teaming with St. Luke’s Lutheran and the UCC for a Wednesday Lenten program.  Stations of the Cross will be offered weekly throughout Lent and daily during Holy Week, at which time the church will also be open for individual confession.  The Triduum, the singular liturgy of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection that covers the three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil, is being planned for.  We will close all of this out with the Festal Eucharist of Easter Day.

There is a lot going on and a lot to plan for; and sometimes I get overwhelmed and tired just thinking about it.

I’ve been reading through the Gospel of John during this Epiphany season.  One of the things that has struck me is how deliberate and intentional Jesus is.  When a group of men bring only a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus for judgment, he stoops down and draws in the dirt.  When he meets a Samaritan woman at a well, he takes his time with her.  At the Last Supper, he takes time to wash the feet of his disciples.  When faced with his own death, he has a long conversation with Pilate about truth.

As Lent and Holy Week approach with their crush of obligations and opportunities, may we all take the time to be deliberate and intentional about what we are doing.  It just might be by doing that we will live into the fullness of each, rather than feeling rushed as we jump from one event to another.

May you be deliberate and intentional in this upcoming holy season.

January 24, 2024

Consumerism and the Church

We live in a consumerist society.  On one hand, this is simply the way things are:  we exchange our labor for wages and our wages for those things we both need and want.  On the other hand, we are always in danger of allowing this system to rule over us: wanting the latest style, trend, or gadget, wanting more than we need, hoarding what we have, and allowing our purchases to dictate who we are.

Because consumerism is such a big part of our lives, it can bleed over into every single aspect of our lives.  Donors to sports programs demand winning results.  Large donors to hospitals or universities want to see their name on buildings or research centers in recognition of those donations.  Every interaction is a transaction and viewed with an eye as to how it can benefit me.

This, unfortunately, can also be seen in churches.  People have been known to withhold pledges because they didn’t like the priest, or the programs, or the Communion wine, or the music, or you name it.  People have donated large amounts of money to choir programs with the understanding that they, not the choir director, would choose the music for special days.  I once had wealthy parishioners who, during a complete renovation of the nave (new paint, new floor stain, new carpet), offered to pay for the carpet portion as long as they got to choose the carpet.  After politely telling them no thank you, I’m not sure I ever saw them in church again.

Having a consumerist mentality works for businesses and day-to-day operations, but it will eventually destroy a parish.  That’s because it allows parishioners to make ceaseless demands in trying to get the most of what they want for the least amount of effort or cost. It’s because it teaches people to put themselves and their desires over and above the needs of others.  It’s because it blinds a person to the true cost of discipleship:  the willingness to follow Christ in all things, the willingness to search out Christ again and again, the willingness to continually ask for forgiveness of sins done and left undone, and the understanding that discipleship will cost you your life (D. Bonhoeffer).

A consumerist mentality causes us to ask:  What do I get out of this?

A discipleship mentality causes us to ask:  From the gifts God has given, what am I giving to God?

Which question are you asking? 

January 17, 2024

The story of Jonah should be a good story.  This should be a gloriously happy story.  After an attempt at running away from God, then being swallowed by a fish, Jonah finally does what God asks him to do:  he enters the great and wicked city of Nineveh to proclaim God’s judgment and their impending destruction.  Then something amazing happened:  all the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah.  They repented of their evil deeds and turned to the Lord.  God also repented – that is, God changed his mind – and did not destroy the city.  That’s where the lesson for this coming Sunday ends.  This should be a gloriously happy story.

But the lectionary doesn’t give us the whole story.  If you read the book of Jonah (it’s only four chapters long, so you can read it in under 15 minutes), you will find that, instead of being gloriously happy, Jonah is exceedingly displeased and becomes very angry.  Why?

Because when it came right down to it, Jonah couldn’t abide God’s love and compassion being offered to foreigners.  He couldn’t abide God’s love and compassion being offered to the enemy.  He couldn’t abide God’s love and compassion being offered to other people in the same way it was offered to him.

Upon reflection, aren’t we a bit like Jonah?  How much compassion do we show when someone sits in our pew?  How loudly does our Judge-O-Matic go off when someone who doesn’t fit our expectations, or who looks like they “don’t belong,” shows up at church?  How much compassion do we have toward panhandlers, or foreigners, or people who blow their leaves into our yard, or . . . or . . . or?  There is no shortage of opportunities for us to be an angry Jonah.

In this Epiphany season of revelation and manifestation, in this season of outsiders bringing gifts and insiders trying to eliminate them, may we be more like the foreign Ninevites who turned to the Lord, and less like Jonah who was angry that he couldn’t keep God to himself.

Blessings,

January 10, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Epiphany

January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as the Manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.  This is the day we celebrate the arrival of the magi/wise men at the house of the Holy Family in Bethlehem.  We are told in Matthew that the wise men came from the east and followed a star that eventually led them to the house in Bethlehem.  They were the first non-Jews to recognize the importance of the birth of Jesus.

The first Sunday after the Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism of Our Lord.  All three synoptic gospels record the baptism of Jesus, and the Gospel of John strongly implies it.  All four record the Spirit of God descending from heaven and resting Jesus, signifying something important.

This coming Sunday we will hear disciples beginning to follow Jesus, as well as hearing of Jesus’ ability to see things mortals can’t.  After that we will hear Jesus calling disciples, healing people, and driving out demons.  All of these Epiphany passages reflect various ways in which Jesus is made known to us as the Son of God. 

This time of year, between the end of the holidays and Ash Wednesday can be seen as a quiet time.  The busyness of the holidays is over, and the quiet preparation of Lent is just getting underway.  The Epiphany season itself is a type of Ordinary Time, a green season of counting the Sundays after Epiphany.

But, as I mentioned above, this is the season of manifestation.  This is the season of revelation.  This is the season of seeing Jesus for who he really is.

This year Epiphany is only six weeks long.  Instead of thinking there’s nothing going on during this time, or instead of looking forward to the next big event (Ash Wednesday and Lent), I encourage you to take some time and live into Epiphany.  Where do you see the presence of Christ, in your life or in the lives of those around you?  Where do you see opportunities to answer his call to follow him?

Maybe most importantly, where do you see opportunities to point him out to others and invite them to join you?

Blessings,

January 3, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Still Christmas

Today is the Tenth Day of Christmas.  According to the song, this is the day a true love receives ten lords a-leaping. 

I hope you are still celebrating the Christmas season. I hope your tree is still up.  I hope you still have Christmas decorations displayed.  I hope your creche sets have the wise men/magi still making their way to Bethlehem, while moving closer every day.

I hope all this because, in a world that is in a rush to get to Christmas (store decorations seem to run concurrent with Halloween now) but pushes it aside even faster, it’s important for us to remember that Christmas is a season.  It’s important to remember that Advent doesn’t begin on December 1, but on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.  It’s important to remember that the Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 25 and run through the evening of January 5.

It's important to remember that the wise men/magi weren’t at the manger in Bethlehem, but they were at the house of Mary, Joseph, and toddler Jesus.

I say all this because the world wants to drive us to a day of gift-giving that is over almost before it starts in order to ramp up for the next frenzied holiday.

But it’s important to remember that we are not to be driven by what the world tells us is important; it’s important to remember that we have different priorities. 

Christmas is a 12-day season because the Incarnation of God as a human baby is too important to neglect.  Christmas is a 12-day season because it is the time we remember those who gave their lives for the message of the Gospel (Saint Stephen, Deacon and first martyr), those who wrote passionately about the love of God (Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist), and those who were killed because they were seen as a threat to worldly powers (the Holy Innocents).

The Christmas season is too important to be relegated to one day.  So be joyful and merry.  Sing Christmas carols and hymns.  Say, “Merry Christmas!” to the cashiers at Lynn’s and DJ’s.  Drink your eggnog (if you can find it) and make toasts.  Continue to celebrate the miracle and gift of God made man for another few days – because this gift is too important for only one day.

Merry Christmas,