THE CANDLE-LIGHTED CHRISTMAS TREE The legend tells us that it was Martin Luther who first lighted a Christmas tree. The story goes that one Christmas eve as he was walking home over the snow-covered fields, he looked up at the stars shining through the frosty branches of a fir tree. He hurried home to tell his family about it. To show them what he meant, he cut a small fir tree, took it into the house, and placed lighted candles on the branches. A candle-lighted Christmas tree became part of the Christmas celebration in the Luther home every Christmas thereafter. Many years later, trees appeared generally in German homes, and eventually the custom spread to other countries. The lighted and gift-laden evergreen Christmas tree tells much that is symbolical of the Savior, who is born anew in the hearts of people everywhere each Christmas. -Gems of Thought- THINK! As Christmas draws near, the challenge of Jesus coming, addressed first of all to his parents continues to resound even today, calling us all to an attitude of deep conversion, to a radical response of faith. Three months ago, we can already hear Christmas songs. We saw vendors selling Christmas lanterns and Christmas lights. The other week, the evening breeze has also started to come with the cold Siberian winter. Certainly, in the Philippines, Christmas is just around the corner. I recall my childhood days. We would do a general cleaning around the house before we decorate it for Christmas. No decorating for the Yuletide season until every corner of the house was immaculately clean--that was my mothers policy. Because we were kids, we were always excited to decorate our house with Christmas decorations as early as possible. Perhaps, you have the same memories of your childhood days. Most probably, you were just as excited as my sisters and I were to decorate your homes for Christmas. I am almost certain that your own mothers would not have your houses decorated until a general cleaning took place. Mothers always knows best! And, when we have our own families to care for and our own homes to keep, we normally do what we learn from them. The Advent season calls us for preparing for a new beginning. The prophet John the Baptist calls for baptismal cleansing, fasting, repentance, conversion, and upright living prepares the people to enter this time. The dark life of sin must give way to the glorious life of divine favor. The prophet Joel (Joel 1:13-15,2) calls us for a general cleaning, not of our homes but of our souls. The prophet tells us the reason why: ....for the day of the Lord is coming, yes, it is near,. In Psalm 9, the psalmist, for his part, reminds us what to expect with the Lords coming. He says, The Lord will judge the world with justice. We will be accountable to the Lord for how clean or how dirty our souls are when He comes. The Lord will be a merciful Savior to us but, lest we forget, He is also a just judge. At Judgment Day, the Lord will not be as interested with our decorations as He is concerned with how well we have cleansed our selves from our sins. The blemish of sins and the glitters of welcoming the Lord cannot go together. Having been reminded of our need to clean our souls and of the fact that the Lord will come to judge us all, the point is this: The task does not end with a good general cleaning. We need to be firm with our resolutions against anything that may make us dirty again. We have to be vigilant by avoiding specific occasions that can easily make us less pure again. We must set up support structures that encourage holiness rather than sin. Often, we may be required to completely change our lifestyle. If we want to be firm with our resolutions, we need to pray and humbly accept that without Gods help we cannot be clean. Some people think that holiness is achieved through willpower. They are very wrong and sooner than later they are made to realize that the hard way. If we are vigilant by avoiding specific occasions that can easily make us less pure again, we have to refrain from going to beerhouses, casinos, red-light districts, movie houses that show indecent films, pot sessions, and alike. We have to avoid gossiping, intentional eavesdropping, watching X-rated movies, loose women, bad company and alike. Know our weaknesses and we should know what to avoid. If we want to set up support structures and encourage holiness rather than sin, we must choose very well the friends we keep, we must go out of our way to read good literature on spirituality, to listen to homilies and talks on spiritual growth, to attend retreats, recollections and other fora of spiritual nourishment, but most of all, we must frequent the Sacraments, particularly, the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some of us may be done already preparing for Christmas though it is yet six days away. There is nothing wrong with that. But please do not forget to clean up first. A dirty house does not deserve beautiful Christmas decorations. The same is true with dirty souls. As we get ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus to earth, we too should heed Johns message of repentance. Whats most important is to enter this season of the year with a pure heart. To do that, we need to confess our sin, turn from it, and renew our fellowship with the Lord. Then well be able to celebrate the Christmas season with great joy and peace. Holy Spirit, to get ready, help us to take time this Christmastide to go a little way apart, and with the help of God prepare the house that is our heart. Amen. Pray! Pten
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 05:43:19 +0000
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