A Disciple of Christ

Christmas Isn’t Over!

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Photo by Kristina Paukshtite

The days after December 25th are always a bit strange. We’ve been hearing carols blaring on the radio since Halloween and engaging in all sorts of special Advent service and preparation for the nativity for months. Despite all of the anticipation for the jolliest time of year, I can’t help feeling a tiny ping of sadness every year when I see the first Christmas tree stripped of its ornaments and tossed out by the curb with the rest of the garbage. On occasion I’ve seen this even before January 1st. 

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, long before my conversion to the faith. I admit that early on, and with a much more secular understanding of Christmas, I was often among those to partake in premature Christmas decoration and celebration. It was always the happiest time of year with my family and I strove to make it last as long as possible. 

Since coming to the faith and marrying my deeply devout husband, I’ve also come to a new understanding of the Christmas season. Contrary to popular belief, it actually begins on December 25th when we celebrate the birth of Christ. In parishes and on front lawns across the world, scenes of the infant Christ in the manger with Mary and Joseph remind us of the humble beginnings of our own salvation. This season extended all the way to January 7th, the Solemnity of the Epiphany and the arrival of the magi to Bethlehem where they paid homage to Christ. 

As previously mentioned I myself annually join in the premature Christmas merry making. My husband and I are working on taking a more liturgical approach to the Christmas season which means not setting the star atop our own tree until Christmas Eve. However, it also means fully embracing the joy of the season for the entirety of the season. We shouldn’t be cutting it short just because old Saint Nick has already come and gone. The Christmas season is first and foremost a devotion to Christ.

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

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Photo by JINU JOSEPH

While the world ushers in the possibilities of the new year, many Catholics take yet another opportunity to reverence Mary. Although January 1st is not officially a holy day of obligation in all countries it is a day in which we celebrate the Mother of God. This is the octave of Christmas, occurring on the day that Christ was circumcised and given His name. On this Catholic feast we remember Mary as she lovingly fulfills her motherly responsibilities to her beloved Son. Christ was fully human and fully divine, the perfect child just as Mary was and is the perfect mother to us all. Don’t forget to pray your rosary today and implore the Holy Mother for intercessions in your life. God always hears and listens to His mother.   

Christmas Traditions

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Merry Christmas everyone! Whether you’re spending it cozied up with family in front of your favorite version of A Christmas Carol or reminiscing about past Christmases over dinner and eggnog, I pray everyone can celebrate the nativity of Christ surrounded by friends and family and good cheer. Here are some beloved Christmas traditions which my family loves to share every year.

Christmas Tree Hunting – In our house we never had a fake tree. While we all lived in Colorado we would gleefully bundle up, strap on our snowshoes and head out into the chilly mountain winter air in search of the perfect tree. Some years, the tree had a bit of a Charlie Brown quality to it, whether it be a doubled top or an odd bald spot at the back. Sometimes the tree was slightly too skinny or too fat or slightly bent halfway up but these quirks only made us love it more. We could never return home with the tree until we’d engaged in the annual snowball fights and sledding runs and generally wore ourselves out playing in the snow. Once home, we would crowd in the living room in our socks and slippers to decorate the tree while munching on homemade Christmas cookies.

German Christmas Cookies – During our childhood, every year around Thanksgiving we would cram ourselves into my Oma’s tiny kitchen along with all of our aunts, uncles and cousins, to help bake Oma’s legendary Christmas cookies. She always had a sixth sense for when the cookies were done. No timers in her house. Everyone would run for cover if ever someone distracted Oma and the cookies came out burnt. However, these catastrophes were rare and far between and in general, everyone was sent home with huge tins overflowing with our favorite Christmas delights.

The Christmas Puzzle – This is a bit more of an Advent tradition in our family as a partially finished jigsaw depiction of the last supper or the nativity is generally sprawled across our coffee table for the majority of the season. We always work to complete the picture by Christmas which on occasion resulted in my sister and I happily chatting until 2 in the morning to place the last pieces. 

The Feast – While many people are fond of their Christmas turkey, the feast of the nativity has often spanned several days in our house. We loved embracing our Italian and German heritage respectively and there would usually be an evening for each. My sister and I always loved helping to make the annual homemade pasta. One year we even did homemade pretzels to pair with our favorite German beer for an appetizer. On Christmas morning my mom would always have cinnamon rolls and a delicious breakfast casserole hot and ready. 

Go To Church – Even before we were Catholic we would don our Christmas finery to attend church with our extended family. At the time, we mostly went for the music as we were always sure to catch our favorite carols on Christmas Eve. However, having all now made our way to the Church, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning masses are something that I wouldn’t dream of missing. We still get the traditional hymns which are lovely to hear but the mass is so much more than that. Celebrating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on the eve of His nativity is a profoundly moving experience for me, particularly when the sanctuary is overflowing with fellow parishioners. Some might grumble at the difficulty of finding parking at this particular mass but I love to see all of our fellow church goers, dressed to impress and there to reverence Christ. 

Mustard Seeds

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Photo by Akil Mazumder

For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. – Matthew 17:20-21

When asked why I converted to Catholicism it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact moment when my understanding blossomed into true belief. I’ve often said that there wasn’t a single instant which led me to the faith but many moments, both big and small, over the course of many years. Upon reflection, I think the first seeds of Catholic understanding in my life were all planted by my two wonderful parents, though we may have all been unaware at the time. 

My very first exposure to Catholic teachings and literature did not come from the Bible. I first heard and fell in love with these teachings through the eloquent writings of JRR Tolkien in his tales of Middle Earth. Bedtime stories were always a must in our house growing up and Tolkien’s were our favorite. Even before any of us were Catholic and well before I myself could read, my dad spent countless evening hours sitting between my sister and I with The Lord of the Rings open in his lap, causing the letters to come alive with his various character voices as my mom sat close by knitting in her comfy armchair. To this day, my sister and I still eat up these stories, epic recounts of the eternal struggle between good and evil and all the rays of light that can still be found in a world falling into darkness. Tolkien’s work is bursting with Catholic messages and imagery.  

My mom also planted slightly more literal Catholic seeds later when I grew up and moved away to Indiana. She gifted me with a small metal crucifix and a tiny car rosary. I was not Catholic at the time and had no intention of coming to the faith but my mom was not deterred. These she hung in my life with care and without my permission, the crucifix rather prominently displayed in the middle of my apartment living room and the rosary dangling from the rearview mirror in my car. Long after she returned to Colorado and left me to my new life in the Midwest, my crucifix and rosary still hung where she’d left them. In part, I was grateful for the prayers which came with them even if I myself didn’t subscribe to the faith they represented. They were little reminders of my mom’s love for me. I also knew that she’d look for them whenever she visited and never had the heart to explain why I’d moved them so they were left as they were, Christ on the cross watching over me wherever I went.  

I would later find myself defending Catholicism during good natured religious debates over lunch with work friends. At the time I knew close to nothing about the faith except what my parents had told me since their return to the Church. I always felt compelled to correct the more blatant anti Catholic arguments on behalf of the two intelligent and loving people who raised me. Now I understand why. Looking back, all of these seemingly insignificant moments were indeed guiding me to the faith, one slow inch at a time. 

Roses for Our Lady

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Though tomorrow is not a Catholic holy day of obligation it is one of the many days on the liturgical calendar during which we honor the Virgin Mary. Today marks the anniversary of the second apparition of Mary to Saint Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill (now Mexico City). Our Lady had first instructed him to build a shrine there where she could bring comfort to all who visited. This had been met with some resistance by the bishop so Mary told Juan Diego collect roses and present them to the bishop in the dead of winter as proof of her apparition. Juan Diego did this and the cloak (tilma) he used to carry the roses can still be seen in Mexico City today, imprinted with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

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Today, December 8th, marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, an incredibly important Catholic solemnity and one that is a holy day of obligation in the United States. This means we Catholics are required to attend this mass. As it falls during the season of Advent, the preparation for the nativity of Christ, there is a common misunderstanding about who’s immaculate conception we celebrate today. Everyone knows that Christ was conceived by the power of The Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary. However, today we celebrate the conception of Holy Mother Mary, Queen of the Universe. 

One of the first things that new Catholics learn about the faith is that, as the son of God, Christ was fully human and fully divine and therefore was without sin. This means that Christ never committed a sin during his time on Earth, from His conception to His ascension into Heaven after His resurrection from the dead. Necessarily, this also means that His mother, Mary, was without sin as her Son could not be contained in a place tainted by sin. Mary’s womb was the very first tabernacle in which our Lord resided and thus Mary must also be pure and virtuous. 

This is also one of the explanations for how Mary could remain a virgin while still becoming the mother of Christ. From the moment of her birth, she was chosen to one day become the mother of God and ultimately the mother of us all. This does not mean that she had no choice in the matter. God is all knowing and outside of time. He knew what decision Mary would make when visited by the archangel, Gabriel. However, God also blesses all of humanity with free will and it was Mary’s yes which ultimately led to the salvation of mankind through the birth of Christ and His death on the cross. 

Though she is merely human, Mary is venerated as the ultimate woman. She is the new Eve, the Blessed Mother, Holy Virgin, Star of the Sea and Queen of the Universe. Through her unfailing trust in God, Mary serves as a blueprint of perfect faith, obedience, and femininity. This is why we venerate the Mother of God on this feast day.

Preparation of Advent

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Photo by Ronaldo R&K

Many people, myself included, are enthusiastically getting into the Christmas spirit, decorating the tree, planning gift shopping and of course belting all the usual holiday tunes in the car. Amid the excitement it’s easy to forget that the Christmas season is in fact still several weeks away. Yesterday, December 3rd marked the beginning of the holy season of Advent, a time which is first and foremost dedicated to preparation for the nativity. 

Although in countless households across the world, this preparation likely includes the baking of delicious Christmas cookies and the wrapping of toys and gadgets for family members, this should also be a time of preparation of our own hearts to receive our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our associate priest once aptly termed this time of the year as mini Lent. In addition to the jolly times and good cheer we enjoy with friends and family during the build up to Christmas, it’s also necessary to set aside time for quiet reflection and adoration of Christ. This is also a time of renewed service for many Christians, whether that be through bell ringing in front of the grocery store or by spending the weekends working at the local soup kitchen. Much like during Lent, we can all find ways to give of ourselves a little more this Advent season in a spirit of service toward our neighbors.

One of my favorite ways to embrace this spirit of giving is by helping to orchestrate the weekly Advent adoration and vespers services which have become a tradition at my home parish. The first time I witnessed one of these services I was still unbaptized and in my own process of discernment about the Catholic faith. The beauty and reverence of these evenings were instrumental in softening my heart to later receive Christ through baptism and first Eucharist. As such, I was determined to keep them as a regular Advent and Lent tradition at our church even after our former associate priest originally responsible for organizing the events was assigned elsewhere. These services were my first recognizable encounter with the Holy Spirit and the first time that I truly felt like a member of Christ’s Church. I pray that those in attendance now can receive similar graces this advent season as we all await the nativity of Christ.

I Aim to Preach

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Photo by David Eucaristía

There is a constant fear among many Catholics today of being too preachy. We all go around walking on eggshells, terrified of coming across too strongly in our faith or upsetting anyone with our trust in the one true God. Even some of the most devoted Catholics have been conditioned to keep their religious convictions out of social and professional settings at all costs. This is a huge disservice to Christ. We are His disciples, called to go out into the world and profess the word of God. This is not to be done in a prideful or overly pious way but it should be done. If we truly believe in the Holy Trinity, that Christ died on the cross for our sins and is ever present in the Eucharist when we go to mass, our mission in life must be to help as many people receive Him as possible. 

If we fully accept those Catholic teachings we also understand the consequences of turning away from God when we sin which is why we so often run to confession. Rather than striving for vast earthly wealth and success, Catholics seek to achieve eternal salvation which is found only in Christ. We all have good in us but we are not all going to Heaven. God created us in His image. Each and every human being on the planet is proof of His miraculous work and love. However, in order to obtain salvation we must fully and freely choose Him and live in accordance with His teachings. We should preach our faith to anyone who will listen to save as many souls as we can while in this earthly life.

Our faith is not reserved for Sunday worship alone. We Catholics should not hide who we are and what we believe from our friends and coworkers. Of course, launching into a full homily every time you’re out to lunch isn’t likely to win many hearts but small, seemingly ordinary invitations can spark a question or conversation that can lead to much more. Perhaps it’s as simple as sharing in your office team meeting that the reason for your upcoming vacation is a trip to visit family for the baptism of a new niece or nephew. Maybe it’s as easy as noting your intention to go to mass when asked about your weekend plans. If you’re feeling especially outgoing you could even extend a formal invitation for friends to join you at that mass. We need only plant small seeds and trust God to do the rest. I believe that going through life with a holier than thou attitude is the mark of a false Catholic just as is concealing our faith among non-believers. In order to truly live out our faith we must do so publicly. It should be obvious to those around us, not because we live with our noses in the air, but by the truth we speak, the modest way we dress and the compassionate things we do everyday to share God’s love.

All Saints’ Day

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Nearly everyone knows about All Hallows’ Eve. Every child in America looks forward to Halloween, the last day in October when they get to bundle up under costumes of their favorite characters and flit all over town in search of tasty treats to eat. However, far fewer people are familiar with the Catholic feast which always comes the day after Halloween. All Saints’ Day is a Catholic holy day of obligation meaning that attendance at church is required. 

Catholics flock to church on this particular solemnity to celebrate all the saints, both known and unknown. Even non-believers are familiar with some of the greats; Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Joseph to name a few. These are big ‘S’ Saints. Their sainthood has been formally declared by the Holy Father, the Pope, after careful examination of a series of miracles attributed to each of these people. However, one hardly has to be famous in order to become a saint in the eyes of God. There are hundreds of Saints officially acknowledged and celebrated by the Catholic Church and there are countless more that remain unknown but by those who knew them in life. All those who reside with God in heaven have achieved sainthood through virtuous lives or purification of purgatory, regardless of their renown here on earth. 

We tend to confuse our terminology by saying we pray to Saint Anthony for our lost keys or to Saint Mary Magdalene for continued conversion. In truth, we Catholics only ever pray to God as we worship the one true God, fully present in the holy trinity. No saint, famous or otherwise, can answer our prayers. We believe that all of these holy people are now in heaven and therefore closest to God. By this proximity, they have God’s ear in a sense and are capable of interceding for us. When we invoke specific saints in our lives we ask for their intercessions only, that they might implore God to help us in our need. Today, we honor all of them for this assistance.

Catholic Roots

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Photo by Monstera Production

I readily admit that Halloween is far from my favorite holiday. This is a distaste which I believe I inherited from my mom. Of course when my sister and I were little we went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood as a family, a ritual which any child eagerly looks forward to every year. Upon arriving home my parents always had my sister and I choose our favorite 10 pieces of candy. The rest they told us was for the candy fairy. In the morning our extra candy would be gone, replaced by a small gift much like something Santa might leave under the Christmas tree. It was family traditions like these which fueled the magic of our childhood and I’m so grateful to our parents for them. 

However, as we outgrew trick-or-treating Halloween became more of a shared family annoyance than a beloved holiday. We always enjoyed passing out candy to the costumed kiddos but as the evening progressed our house would inevitably be visited by lazy or scantily clad teenagers expecting the same treatment, many of whom hadn’t bothered to don a costume at all. Later, Halloween as an adult with work friends was treated by my peers as little more than an excuse for drunkenness during which otherwise respectable young women would squeeze themselves into too tight, too short “costumes” lauding immodesty as the goal the entire time. This has also become a time when quaint family neighborhoods are regularly assaulted by demonic and excessively gory scenes sprawled across various front lawns.

For all of these reasons I’m not a fan of Halloween and wasn’t intending to honor the occasion with a full Monday post. However, I recently came across this post, Halloween and Hallowtide, from a fellow blogger which caused me to reconsider. She very eloquently reminds readers that, all demonic and scandalous behavior aside, Halloween was originally rooted in Catholic traditions. All Hallows Eve is part of a holy triduum in the Church. This is the vigil to All Saints’ Day which occurs on November 1st and is immediately followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. During these three days we are to pray and feast in honor of our beloved dead. After reading this article, I can only echo her call to “sprinkle some Catholicism in your Halloween.” As Catholics we must always be careful to avoid participating in any activities which might lead ourselves and others deeper into sin but we also should attempt to live liturgically where possible by celebrating Catholic feasts like these.