Published by A wreath represents the God of all time and teaches us that God’s love is timeless. Christ comes into our lives when he will.
Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth. Christ’s birth is centrifical to Christendom just as it is centrifical to every Christian home. For the souls that waited out the 2000 years before Christ’s birth, it was the waiting that meant they were the chosen people, the people of passover, the loved, blessed people were the people that waited for Christ. There is a thrill to the beginning of the Christmas story, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.” As we collect ourselves after a war, the enrollment of the world is familiar to us. We have been called forth from our homes we love to a better home, eventually we believe that will mean God’s home, heaven.
There are a host of things that explain the Christmas mystery. A wreath is the beginning of this. There is the Good Shepard’s candy cane or the story of Saint Nicholas that celebrates the birthday of Christ with presents. Perry Como’s Christmas Song appeals to children and enumerates the many ways we think of Christmas. Emmanuel, Christ’s name in Hebrew, means ‘God with us’. When we meditate on how it is that God is with us, the Christmas traditions and symbols are more precious. The day will come when we are home with the Christ for all eternity. This is Paradise and the and the event in time is called Parousia.
I especially like the Christmas Eve at sea poems. Christmas is lilke a mystical lighthouse that guides us into the port of Paradise. A Christmas tree eventually replaces the tree of good and evil that was the event of man’s fall from grace, with a tree that will at last usher us into eternal bliss. The fact of that salvation is the Christ and his birthday when celebrated marking the return of creation to God. By degrees the universality of Christmas means the universality of Christendom. Christmas traditions become increasingly universal as country after country become distinguished for the way they keep Christmas.
I do not neglect to add that the twelve days of Christmas ending with Epiphany is the feast of Christmas too. The Magi Countries are not to be forgotten, very much the contrary. The star of David is on their flag. (even if it is not always called the star of David)
Christmas is important. Dickens advised we keep Christmas in our hearts. Christmas is both the law and the relief we seem to need from the law. Every woman I most admire wants to be Mrs. Santa Claus. We must live as the Christkind. ((the German word for Christmas) This means bringing Christ into our homes. This we celebrate at Christmas and the joy we feel at Christmas time and throughout the year as we prepare for Christmas strengthens us and rewards us. My Halloween as Mary Christmas is my version of Mrs. Santa Claus. I pray I will always be able to wear that disguise in making my best efforts because then I will be sure I am a success in the eyes of Christ.
