Christmas These Days!

Preparations for Christmas these days are typically less focussed on Luke and Matthew’s nativity stories and some folks have only a jumbled notion of the feast we celebrate. And certainly, much is written about the commercialisation of Christmas. But still much can be learnt about preparation, consideration of others and reflection on values and circumstances beyond ourselves.

St Francis of Assisi might be said to have invented Christmas in the thirteenth century. His special devotion to Jesus, in what he considered the “feast of feasts”, highlights the incarnate Creator born to Mary in poor, simple, awkward, humble circumstances. Francis celebrated this earthy humanity, encouraging anticipation of the feast and introducing some of the symbolism remaining today. The world is a better place for Christmas preparations.

All three of our readings for this second Sunday of Advent are about preparedness, yearning and eager anticipation. That’s what Advent is about – preparation.

Baruch, a lesser-known Old Testament prophet, expresses the yearning of his people during times of sorrow and distress for a joyful future with God’s glorious coming (Bar 5:1-9), while the gospel (Lk 3:1-6) outlines John the Baptist foretelling the imminent coming of the Lord, his kinsman Jesus, Son of God. St Paul in his letter to the Philippians (Phil 1:3-6, 8-11), a few decades after Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is about preparation for the anticipated second coming of Jesus at some unknown time in the future. 

All in all, the message is clear. Prepare with joy for Jesus’ first coming as a child in Bethlehem. We are familiar with the story, but that doesn’t make it any less exquisite. And whilst we anticipate the secular pleasures of Christmas, let us eagerly celebrate the Good News as well as prayerfully preparing ourselves too for the second coming of Christ.

Deacon Mark Kelly