Thoughts on Christmas

I just returned from midnight mass. I have decided to make it my family tradition.
My mother said that she went to midnight mass with dad when they were dating, and thought it was "totally awesome"and that the music was "heavenly", and had all kinds of questions afterward, like, "what's with the people in robes swinging the smokey thingies?" To which dad responded, "That's incense." and mom said, "but it smelled fine in here already." Or, "why did you do that before you went in the pew?" Response: "that's called genuflecting, it's what you are supposed to do."

The incarnation is not something to be "believed" or "thought" or understood. It is not some intellectual proposition to take pride in. That is, it is not something to be held in your cerebral cortex. It is something to feel, hold in your heart, something that brings tears, goosebumbs, cold sweat, weak knees, and penitence.

If I am ever alone on Christmas day, I plan to spend it weeping.


Merry Christmas