This year the Seventh Day of Christmas falls on New Years Eve.
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To be completely frank, I'm not sure why Christians even observe New Years. However, I'm sure some of my readers can provide an adequate explanation for the adults who read this blog.
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Why do we celebrate New Year's? To mark the passage of time, I guess. It's funny, but just about every culture in the world has some kind of a new year holiday, maybe not at the same date as our western one. I think of the old Sinatra song "It Was a Very Good Year". Years are like bottles of wine, some excellent, some laced with wormwood. Of course as Christians we are oriented towards eternity, which is maybe why we don't attach a lot of meaning to New Year's. But as the scripture verse says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart."
ReplyDeleteHave a very happy 2011, Terry!
Another song... "Long and Winding Road." You are so right, Melody. However, New Year's Day falls on the Feast of the Circumcision--Octave Day of Christmas--and we should and do celebrate that as Catholics!
ReplyDeleteTerry,
ReplyDeleteI thought of you today--been reading a book called "Perfect Fools" by John Saward. He discusses many holy men and women (of both the Eastern and Western Churches) who have what he believes to be an authetic charism of the Holy Spirit: that of holy folly.
The Little Flower is in there as well as many others. The stories he recalls and his analysis of them struck me as being right up your alley.
He begins with a quote from Jean-Joseph Surin:
"Let us contemplate the mirror of all the penitent saints: Jesus Christ in the Praetorium of Pilate and upon the Cross. In the Praetorium he appears an an object of abomination before the whole people, in the ludicrous regalia of a mock king...For since an Incarnate God was willing to appear in that state in which Pilate showed him to the people, what point would it have if not to say to men, through his example, what St. Ignatius says in his Constitutions, that 'out of gratitude and love for him, we should desire to be reckoned fools and glory in wearing his livery."
Hi Patrick - thanks for thinking of me and sharing that! I think I will look for that book.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year my friend!