The Joy of Christmas

When the angels went away from them to heaven,

the shepherds said to one another, 

“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem

to see this thing that has taken place, 

which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,

they made known the message

that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things,

reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God 

for all they had heard and seen, 

just as it had been told to them.

-- Luke 2:15-20

At last it begins. After an Advent of preparation, the joyful season of Christmas is finally here. The last piece of our holiday decorations — the Christmas tree — was completed on Christmas Eve. While the trimmings, both inside and out, are set in place over the course of several weeks, the tree remains the capstone, traditionally finished just in time for the Feast itself.

Our celebration will continue through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, as it always has. Each year, I find it a small but familiar disappointment to see lights and decorations vanish the day after Christmas. It seems that many no longer regard the birth of Our Savior as an event worthy of more than a single day of rejoicing. Christmas is not a day, but a season — one worth celebrating fully.

"Adoration of the Shepherds" by Gerard van Honthorst. (OSV News photo/Bridgeman Images)

I wish all of you a very merry and blessed Christmas. May the joy of Christmas remain with you throughout the year.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!