The Catholic Standard & Times - Guest Columnist - In holiday rush, we can still find Christ

In holiday rush,
we can still find Christ

Part II (of a four-part series)

Guest Columnist
By Susan Brinkmann

St. Bernard of Clairvaux once gave a famous sermon in which he described the three comings of the Lord that are celebrated during Advent.

The first, he said, was when Christ “was seen on earth, dwelling among men.” The final coming will be when He returns in glory. The second, or “middle” coming is a “hidden one,” he said: “In it, the elect see the Lord within their own selves.”

Five centuries later, we recognize that “middle coming” of Advent as a time for reflecting on how we recognize Christ in our everyday lives. How can we discover Christ in our lives during such a busy time of year?

“In the world around us, people start celebrating Christmas the day after Thanksgiving,”said Maryanne Harrington, director of the archdiocesan Office for Formation of the Laity. “This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be preparing for Christmas, but [that we should] bring the spirit of Advent into that preparation.”

Today’s technology makes that easy to do, she said. There are Web sites where people can find prayers and reflections for every aspect of the season, from baking cookies and wrapping presents to hanging lights on the Christmas tree. “It’s so hectic because we feel like we have to do all these things, but if we bring prayer into it, it’s the perfect thing,” Harrington said.

For instance, she said, when baking cookies, we can remember how Christ called us to love one another and to share our love with others.

“When you’re hanging up your Christmas lights, think about what those lights mean,” she said. “They’re about welcoming Christ into our homes.” There are many beautiful prayers and reflections about the Christmas tree and its lights as a sign of welcoming Christ, the Light of the world.

“I love mangers,” Harrington went on. “When we put out the mangers in our home, we leave the Christ child somewhere else. Then, on Christmas Eve, when we get home from Mass, we have a ritual of putting the baby in the manger.”

Mangers with fabric characters are also a good way for parents to introduce young children to Mary, Joseph and the Child Jesus, because the children can get to know them through play.

And those stacks of Christmas cards? “We think we have to hurry up and get our cards out every year — but think about why we send those cards,” Harrington said. “Because Christ calls us to love one another, and at Christmas we want to remind [our friends] of Christ in their lives and the love that we share with them.”

In fact, this time of year is the perfect time to reestablish our personal relationship with Jesus, welcoming Him into all our activities.

“This is so important — to help people recognize that spirituality is in everyday life,” Harrington said. “Particularly, as laity in the Church, we have a lot of responsibilities like caring for families, preparing meals. We can make these a part of our spiritual life by bringing prayer into them.”

Contact Susan Brinkmann at fiat723@aol.com or (215) 965-4615.

A Web site to help keep the real spirit of Christmas:
• Visit “A Season of Preparation” at http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adprep.html for family prayers, meditations, special feast days to recognize during Advent, traditional recipes and more.