Thanksgiving 2017 come and gone. In the secular highly retail driven world that must mean it's Christmas. Note to all: Today is NOT Christmas, tomorrow is NOT Christmas, December 1st is still NOT Christmas. And Christmas is NOT jousting for things in mortal combat with your fellow man in some store at 5 in the morning. In fact, Christmas is NOT most of what we have chosen to make it. As a people we have fallen hard for the secular, for the worldliness and it's not our finest hour.
First of all, today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow. In themselves, these days, like every single day, are sufficient for themselves; a singular 24 hour period of time to enjoy God's blessings and for us in return to offer Him fitting praise! Now let's address the head first sky dive to make all things Christmas. Thanksgiving Day isn't even over by hours and we want to move on? Why not stay here awhile; focus on what being thankful looks like; what it means. Focus on thanksgiving to God for all that we have; the blessings and the challenges! Now, we will move on from this weekend but not before the Church closes out Ordinary Time with the grand celebration Sunday of Christ the King. Just one week later we begin the beautiful and amazing liturgical season of Advent! Oh how I love Advent.
Advent is a beautiful time to prepare ourselves, spiritually, for the coming of Jesus not as the babe of Bethlehem but as the King and center of our hearts and lives.
I hope you will journey with me through the days ahead and Advent to come before you crash head on into the lure of Christmas being now. We certainly can do this together. For me, on this beautiful Friday I am still following my recovery routine and soon will attend the funeral of my brother deacon, also named Michael, in a few hours at a nearby church. I will miss him. This afternoon I want to begin the process of gearing up for work which I have been away from 2 weeks as of today. So again, my final reminder: Today is NOT Christmas!
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