Advent Musings

This Advent has been extremely busy for me. But I am forcing myself to blog today. Between the school activities, parish ongoings, Knights of Columbus events, regular work, shopping, extra Masses (two Rorate Masses on the same day btw), there has hardly been time to breath. But Advent remains my favorite time of the year. The whole atmosphere is filled with joy and expectation. But like the world 2000 years ago, all that fades once the Lord actually gets here. Because the world will ultimately be unsatisfied with their gifts, which have become the Jesus of the present culture anyway.

But the Church will continue to celebrate Christmas for weeks after the 25th. In fact, I have two very Catholic Christmas parties after the feast-day itself.

There is an opposite side, btw, to the post-Christmas Scrooge ("get this tree out on the curb, its the 26th already!"). I'm talking about the Advent Grinch. The Advent Grinch is usually the traditionalist who sneers at anyone who puts up a tree before Christmas Eve. It could also be an ultra liberal rocks-in-the-holy-water-font pantsuit nun. I have met folks like this. Yes Advent is penitential, but I am against Advent moping. It could be that the Advent mopers are the same people who are bitter that all the pagans stop celebrating Christmas the day after.

I say, put up the tree. Keep it up through Epiphanytide. The world could use a little more happiness and it certainly could use a good witness to Our Lord. No long faces before or after Christmas! We should celebrate the fact that the world is waiting for its savior, even though to many that is merely materialism. The spark is still there, its just misdirected.

If you keep the "traditional" Catholic Advent, where there are no Christmas carols or decorations up before the feast, then more power to you. But please allow some wiggle room for the weaker of us. My parish has trees up and two nativity sets. The school also had a tree up and took the boys caroling several times. So, this isn't all traddies.

Likewise to all my non-Catholic friends, be prepared to watch me celebrate Christmas until February.

Oh, and go read Lord of the World already. Have a Merry Christmas if I don't get another chance to blog beforehand!