No other season quite brings as much excitement and anticipation as Christmas does. No other season seems to be as busy as the Christmas season. Even though many of us have been shopping, decorating and planning for weeks, once the calendar turns to the last page, the pressure to enjoy “the most wonderful time of the year” is even more intense. With the arrival of December, the countdown to holiday shopping, decorating, baking and entertaining takes on a new urgency.
Despite the cheerful songs and Hallmark movies, for many people, this season can turn into “the most stressful time of the year.” The added anxiety and pressure to plan the “perfect holiday” can actually cause us to miss the real meaning and beauty of the season.
Many of us are familiar with the forty-year-old classic film A Christmas Story. Throughout the movie, Ralphie and his family are so concerned about the trappings and details of Christmas, that the setbacks and struggles they encounter during the days of December almost ruin their celebrations. It is only on Christmas night, with the children in bed and Mom and Dad finally relaxing in the glow of the tree lights, that they seem to really appreciate the moment.
Saint Francis de Sales was not thinking of department stores or dogs ruining Christmas dinner when he preached about dealing with the circumstances of life. However, he certainly understood the challenges of living in the world and dealing with the ups and downs of relationships. His emphasis on the present moment was something he suggested we follow all year long, in season and out of season, not just during the weeks of December.
The holiday season is a time when we usually connect with family, friends and neighbors. This is something many of us cherish and enjoy. However, it is also a time to be aware of everyone around us – especially the poor, the lonely, the outcast and those that others ignore. The Scriptures last weekend reminded us to “stay awake.” If we focus on the here and now, if we are attentive to the needs of our neighbor, we can appreciate and help all of God’s children. We can recognize the light of Christ in each person and see the amazing opportunities that surround us each day.
In the novel, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Each spirit helps Scrooge to appreciate life and inspires him to be transformed into a generous and caring man, a true man for all seasons, a man for others. The story ends with Scrooge declaring: “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, present and future. The spirts of all three shall live within me.”
During these weeks of December, if we look around us and live in the present, we will not only honor Christmas, but we will enjoy it.
Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence
