To a materialist, Santa Claus and commercialism is Christmas and can be canceled. For the Christian, the prayerful anticipation of Advent, the joy of the Nativity, and the sure knowledge of our salvation through Jesus Christ cannot. Blessed Mother Mary once told a seer that in the end, all that would be left for us would be the sign of her Son and the rosary. Not even the most determined secularist, imbued with overweening pride can cancel that.
The story of the real St Nicholas is far more fascinating than secular Santa Claus anyway. St. Nicholas helped the poor and punched Arius in the face for denying Jesus as True God and true man. He was a fantastic example of masculinity and zeal for the faith. Righteous anger.
The Advent season is a beautiful time of the year; a season to grow in holiness and joy for the birth of our Lord. My oldest loves to talk about Jesus as an infant.
You are so right, Millennial Mom. The Church, and therefore the world would be quite a different place with just one St. Nicholas. My kinda guy.
You last sentence is intriguing to me. I don’t know how old your oldest is. Since you’re a millennial I’m guessing he’s still a boy.
The notion of Jesus, the Lord, God Almighty, Creator of all seen and unseen, laying there in a manger (a place for food) helpless, vulnerable. Can you imagine what went through the mind and heart of St. Joseph knowing that he was selected to protect the vulnerable Lord and the Virgin? To be the one, the Knight, the guardian? The heart of every man has to beat hard at the thought of it. What a grace! What a privilege! St. Joseph was given the greatest of all manly tasks and he did it well.
And it brings us in our time to the vulnerable Lord in the Eucharist. Helpless. Dependent on us for His protection. The mind reels.
I am privileged to be an usher at my church. Occasionally I get the opportunity to stand sentinel at the rail during Communion. I cannot possibly tell you what an honor that is. A broken sinner like me gets to stand guard over the most precious there is.
I hope your son will one day know that honor and by extension his role as protector of his family. A young boy who has an interest in the Child Jesus should perhaps be encouraged in a devotion to St. Joseph. Just a thought I offer to you.
Maybe in his warped little world Christmas won’t happen, but not in mine.
Of course it won’t happen in his world. He’s Jewish. I suppose we’re good to go this year for Hannukah though, right Jake?
To a materialist, Santa Claus and commercialism is Christmas and can be canceled. For the Christian, the prayerful anticipation of Advent, the joy of the Nativity, and the sure knowledge of our salvation through Jesus Christ cannot. Blessed Mother Mary once told a seer that in the end, all that would be left for us would be the sign of her Son and the rosary. Not even the most determined secularist, imbued with overweening pride can cancel that.
The story of the real St Nicholas is far more fascinating than secular Santa Claus anyway. St. Nicholas helped the poor and punched Arius in the face for denying Jesus as True God and true man. He was a fantastic example of masculinity and zeal for the faith. Righteous anger.
The Advent season is a beautiful time of the year; a season to grow in holiness and joy for the birth of our Lord. My oldest loves to talk about Jesus as an infant.
You are so right, Millennial Mom. The Church, and therefore the world would be quite a different place with just one St. Nicholas. My kinda guy.
You last sentence is intriguing to me. I don’t know how old your oldest is. Since you’re a millennial I’m guessing he’s still a boy.
The notion of Jesus, the Lord, God Almighty, Creator of all seen and unseen, laying there in a manger (a place for food) helpless, vulnerable. Can you imagine what went through the mind and heart of St. Joseph knowing that he was selected to protect the vulnerable Lord and the Virgin? To be the one, the Knight, the guardian? The heart of every man has to beat hard at the thought of it. What a grace! What a privilege! St. Joseph was given the greatest of all manly tasks and he did it well.
And it brings us in our time to the vulnerable Lord in the Eucharist. Helpless. Dependent on us for His protection. The mind reels.
I am privileged to be an usher at my church. Occasionally I get the opportunity to stand sentinel at the rail during Communion. I cannot possibly tell you what an honor that is. A broken sinner like me gets to stand guard over the most precious there is.
I hope your son will one day know that honor and by extension his role as protector of his family. A young boy who has an interest in the Child Jesus should perhaps be encouraged in a devotion to St. Joseph. Just a thought I offer to you.
God bless you and yours.
Jason
Has he not seen “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (the real one, not the Jim Carey abomination)? It came just the same.