
My Grandmother’s Christmas angels.
As we approach the 3rd Sunday in Advent, I’ve been noodling over Lori’s last post. I’m really having a problem with the idea that it’s a mortal sin to miss mass. I think I’ve been to two masses in my entire life so if that’s a hard fast rule I’m in a world of hurt.
Don’t worry. Lori’s used to me questioning things like this. I think Ruth has grown accustomed to it too. It’s just the way I’m wired. Toss something down in front of me and tell me that it’s a FACT and I’m going to look at it from every direction. I do the same thing with Christmas. For me, some things make sense and others just don’t.
Do you have to go to Midnight Mass? I don’t. Do you? I actually like going to the midnight service but I’m a night owl. My husband is essentially useless past about 11:00. That said, he pops up out of bed in the morning and tries to talk to me. He’s more of a sunrise service kind of guy. When it comes to Christmas Eve, we go to the 7 pm service.
Do you have to put up a Christmas tree? A friend of mine hates Christmas trees. “It’s a pagan custom. We shouldn’t do it.” Look – I like the lights. A lot. They make me happy. And lights on a tree with shiny ornaments are just extra sparkly and thus awesome.
Another friend challenges the validity of Christmas as a whole. As Christians, in her opinion, we should focus on Easter. Christmas just needs to be downplayed as much as possible. But I think it’s a big deal that Jesus came as a little baby, born to a poor mother and father in a stable. In my mind, Jesus’ birth took religion out of the temple and the control of the Priests and the Pharisees. It took it out into the world. I see her point, Easter is a big deal, but I’m still pulling out my nativity and my grandmother’s angels. I’m putting up my tree and my lights. I’m putting on my Christmas-y music.
I’m not saying you have to celebrate Christmas, but I’m going to do it. Don’t look for rules. Don’t look for regulations. Don’t stress yourself out over it. Come up with a celebration that is meaningful to you and reflects your relationship to God and Christ.
–SueBE
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December 10, 2016 at 12:49 am
loristrawn
I love that you question things! It makes me question things too — and I know it makes me a better person. I’m with you: Celebrate Christmas in a way that means something to you. Joy and rules don’t go together!
December 10, 2016 at 3:54 pm
calensariel
You know one of the things that interests me the most about the Christmas story? It’s that the Magi (even though they turned up two years later when Joseph and Mary had settled in Bethlehem) took a DIFFERENT PATH HOME after seeing the 2-year-old Jesus. Yes, God had a hand in giving them a heads up that they were now on the King’s most wanted list, but that’s kind of the point to me. They came, they met, something miraculous happened to them, and they left by another way… When you stop and think about it, isn’t that the way it usually happens when someone meets Jesus? Our paths after that meeting are generally altered in some life-changing way… Just a thought. 🙂
December 13, 2016 at 2:54 am
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