8 1/2 weeks of Advent

Every year, Christmas decorations go up the day after Halloween, as if there are no other days in the calendar left to celebrate. You can’t go shopping anywhere without having “the Christmas spirit” thrown in your face. But just what is that Christmas spirit? Is it really Santa Claus? Is it really the gifts we get?

Yes, I look forward to Christmas. Next to Easter, it is my favorite day of the year. But what is it I like? Midnight Mass—a liturgy that only the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday surpasses. With the birth of Christ, with his taking on humanity, Easter was made possible. There are only three births celebrated in the Roman Calendar—Mary, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ. We celebrate John the Baptist and Mary because they were the forerunner of Christ and his gate to this world. And, as Catholics, we believe that in honoring these occurrences through the Liturgy, we become one with the occurrence. We believe that we are taking part in the occasion, joining our realm with the realm of salvation.

But we so easily allow our consumerist tendencies to come before that. Mass becomes but a blink of an eye, a mere hour-long tradition or even requirement, compared to the day-long festivities of exchanging gifts and eating with family and friends. Let’s go to the early vigil before dinner so that we don’t have to stay up late for Midnight Mass or worry about it in the morning. Yes, as Catholics, we have that privilege. But we must safeguard ourselves so as to not abuse it. I used to. But then I began serving Midnight Mass and fell in love.

Our time of preparation for Christmas has already been set aside as Advent. So why not continue to walk with Christ through his ministry these last few weeks before the first Sunday of Advent, culminating in the Feast of Christ the King?