“The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” – Isaiah 60:3
The joy that is felt on Christmas day, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is truly beautiful. Many of us can look back on Christmas and reflect on memories with family and friends. These memories could be going to the Christmas Eve Vigil, spending time with loved ones, baking family recipes, or getting that one special gift that you will never forget. My favorite memories as a child were spending time with my grandparents, eating my aunt’s famous Christmas cookies, and now as a mother creating traditions for my own children.
The gift of Christmas as Catholics during the liturgical year keeps giving us more blessings than just Christmas morning. Children are often familiar with the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” however there is significant relevance with this festive song. It’s easy to want to put the decorations away and clean up all things Christmas, but focusing on the trueness and beauty of our Lord’s birth is the true gift. There is much to celebrate during these 12 Days. We honor St. Stephen, the first martyr of the church on December 26th, St. John the Apostle and Evangelist on December 27th, the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28th, and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on January 1st. What beautiful days to celebrate!
The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord culminates the 12 Days of Christmas. It is traditionally celebrated on January 6th, but in the United States, it is celebrated on the Sunday immediately after (or this year, immediately preceding it). This is a day to commemorate the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus. This feast day celebrates Jesus as the son of God and He is the King of all nations. The Magi knew how to read the night sky and believed in the prophecies from the Old Testament that would lead to the coming of a Savior.
The Magi showed such deep faith and devotion to follow the Star of Bethlehem on an extremely long and arduous journey to find the Messiah while bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to a tiny baby boy. As I reflect on journey of the Magi, I think about the importance of having faith today. Like the Magi, we each have journeys ahead of us, some small and some large, and having faith in God and committing ourselves to the Lord is what will get us through. What a gift this Christmas season has given to us all!
AUTHOR: Shelley McAvoy, Grade 3 Teacher
