St. Stephen

Today is the feast day of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. For some people, it seems incongruous to celebrate a martyrdom on the day after Christmas. From a mundane perspective, such an observance may seem like a downer. Yet, since the early days of the church calendar in the fourth century, the feast of the Nativity and that of St. Stephen have been bound together.

From a spiritual and theological point of view, the juxtaposition is subtle and fascinating. As in humility, God's Son is born on earth, so in humility His servant Stephen has his heavenly birthday. And even the birth of Jesus to be our Redeemer is inseparable from the work of redemption leading to the Cross. So there is joy, the feasting does continue, but the joy is not mundane. It has a profound and serious meaning. It points us to what C.S. Lewis in the Narnia Chronicles calls the "deep magic"- salvation through sacrifice. We rejoice in faith and love because the divine work of redemption for us sinners continues in a variety of manifestations.

The Feast of the Nativity

Finally, it's Christmas Eve, and for both secularists and traditional Christians, Christmas is at hand. Soon there will feasting and opening of packages across the land, and those who have not been saying it all month will say "Merry/Happy Christmas" (or for some the generic "Happy Holidays"). Yet that is about as far as the common elements go. Popular culture tells us that Christmas is about over. It's easy to understand why people may feel that way. Indeed, even those of us who truly appreciate Christmas can be glad that the commercial and media season is ending. A month of holiday sales, shiny packages, secular winter songs, reindeer cartoons, and so forth is too much.

However, for traditional Christians, this is not the end of Christmas. In fact, it is the beginning. The first celebrations of Christ's Birth will occur as evening comes, and the twelve days of Christmas begin. And the twelve days are not about partridges in pear trees and other strange gifts. The twelve days celebrate our Lord's Nativity, the surrounding events, and the meaning of the Nativity for our faith. We need to focus on this great and unique event. Jesus the Christ, God the Son incarnate, the eternal Word, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. This historical event is more than a birthday celebration. It has the greatest theological and spiritual significance. Christ has come "to save us all from Satan's power." And He can still "cast out our sin and enter in" to be born anew in our hearts, minds, and souls.

So as Christmas truly begins this evening, let us look beyond all the pleasant mundane distractions of the holidays. Let us find some times of reflection to center upon the Incarnation of the One who has come, still comes in Word and Sacrament, and will come again to save us. Gloria in excelsis Deo!

The Church Calendar- Advent

As a child, one of the things that first drew me toward the traditions of the Church was the church year. It taught me to appreciate order and beauty in the proclamation of the Christian message. Over the years, the church calendar has often led me into periods of renewal as we have moved through the ecclesiastical seasons reflecting on the different themes of the Gospel.

During Advent. we begin the cycle anew. The glimmers of light from the prophets come to us sinners in our darkness and call us to repentance and renewal. No matter where we are in our Christian journey, the darkness of the fallen world and our fallen nature threaten to hide divine truth. Yet, the light still flickers, and we anticipate even greater light as we look forward to celebrating the Incarnation of the One who is the Light of the world.

"Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light..." (Collect for Advent).