Let the Christmas Season begin!

Ok, confused and befuddled world; we can now let the Christmas season begin. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Has it not been Christmas all this time. Well, the real answer is no. Depending on what part of the world you live in, Christmas begins anywhere from 2 to 20 hours from now as the Christmas liturgy begins. For us locally, central time in the great state of Louisiana, that will be around 4 p.m. tomorrow. Yep, it's still Advent.

I got a little glimpse of Christmas time tonight as I shared the readings and prayers from the Christmas Midnight Mass with the men of Rayburn prison. This was as close to Christmas Day liturgy as these guys will get. They will be in my prayers on Friday!

When Christmas arrives, the season begins and extends to the Epiphany, what we call King's Day down here (January 6th, also the start of Carnival) and all the way til the Feast of the Baptism. And just in case you have forgotten, Christmas is a Feast and it is an Octave. The Church celebrates Christmas Day over a period of eight days. Every celebration of Mass will be celebrating Christmas until we arrive at the Feast of Mary, Mother of God on January 1st.

It still concerns me what little focus the world gives to Christmas once December 25th has come and gone. Christmas is just beginning. This is, in part, because we have confused Christmas with shopping malls and obscene amount of gifts showered on many who really are in little to no need of any gifts. Not to mention, confusing Christmas with a 30 day window to drink and drink some more, as if the drinking done the other 335 days of the year is not enough.

Now before you dismiss me as some old brood who is sounding overly preachy, please understand that I embrace the desire to spend quality time with family and friends, to celebrate the year end festivities and to have a good time. I'm simply suggesting that Christmas still can be all about celebrating Christ, who comes to us as a baby to save us from our own sins. A family dinner after a family celebrates Mass is a tradition that can still be followed. Saying a family prayer near the nativity scene is still a great idea for Christmas. And maybe spending a lot less on junk and a lot more on the poor and needy is still the right thing to do.

So let's get ready to declare loudly and boldly, Merry Christmas and begin celebrating the day that lasts 8 days and the Christmas season that lasts well into January.

Joy to the World!