Christmas off the grid

"Joy is the true gift of Christmas." ~Pope Benedict XVI

Christmas Break is over, which means the parties, presents, and planning is over. No more Christmas Carols on the radio. No more Christmas movies on TV – not even on the Hallmark Channel. The kids are back in school. The grocery stores are full of slim fast and spandex.

This is my favorite part of the Christmas season.

Yes, for us Catholics it is still Christmas. I first learned the difference between the secular Christmas calendar and the Catholic Christmas calendar in Catholic school. It wasn't a specific homily or lesson, more an observation.

Santa had come, Jesus was born, our Christmas tree was on the front lawn, but when I returned to school Christmas was still happening. We prayed Christmas prayers. Father greeted us with “Merry Christmas!” at the first school Mass. We sang Christmas hymns.

Like most kids, I loved Christmas. The idea that it was still going on was wonderful.

That wonder has only grown as I became a Christmas-facilitating parent. Being slightly out of step with the world’s idea of Christmas lends me peace on earth.

Secular Christmas begins the day after Halloween and ends on Christmas Day, which is too soon on both accounts. Catholic Christmas begins on Christmas Day, ending the second Sunday in January with the Baptism of the Lord. This is perfect.

It's okay to shop slowly and decorate gradually during December, for Advent is all about preparation. I try to wake a little earlier, saying my morning prayers by the light of the Advent Wreath. For me, that’s the eye of the secular Christmas Cyclone, the place of peace.

It's okay to leave the halls decked and nibble Christmas cookies well into January, for our Lord's birthday is worth more than one night. I've noticed when the secular party train winds down, reverence comes easier and joy is more profound than on Christmas Day.

It’s my quiet little Christmas.

I make a point to make the first school Mass in January. I enjoy hearing the priest greet our children with a big “Merry Christmas!” I enjoy hearing the priest tell the children that we’re still celebrating – pointing out the songs, the decorations, the white vestments, and the Nativity Scene surrounded by poinsettias.

And I watch the younger kids’ faces to see that light switch flip and hear them call back, “Merry Christmas!”

Need to bolster you Christmas Spirit? Come to our school Mass this week.

Enjoy the children singing the seasonal songs, their young voices reading the scriptures of wonder, their hands folded in prayer before the altar decked with light. Follow them to the King's feast, celebrating the season of joy.

Merry Quiet Christmas, dear BCACS Family! Let the celebration continue. 

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