Maybe I’m just a big kid, but I still love the holidays. We are now entering what has long been my favorite time of the year.
It’s partly the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays so close together, but it’s more the way people act, the happiness they exude, and how they spread that goodness and charm during these special times.
The decorations in churches, on the streets, and even in stores remind us that we’re heading for something out of our regular routines. The weather gets chillier, and we provide some of the missing warmth ourselves by the way we live and celebrate life. We get together for parties to enjoy each other’s company as well as egg nogg, cookies, hot chocolate, and other seasonal treats that are often passed down through the generations.
I also absolutely loved the holidays as a pastor. In fact, it’s been 14 years since I was last a pastor, and Christmas and Easter are among the things I miss the most.
I appreciated the perspective more as I have gotten older. Nothing beats standing out in front of the church talking to folks, many of whom you haven’t seen in a while because they moved away but are now “home” for the holidays. They greet you with such joy and happiness, and they can’t wait to catch up with the pastor they’ve known for a long time and who may have witnessed their marriage.
I sometimes describe being a pastor as like being the mayor. You become a focal point for the parish, which can have its burdens at times, but it is joyful during the holidays because you are on the receiving end of happiness from so many people.
One of my favorite images of Christmases past – especially in the days when Midnight Mass was a more regular occurrence – is young women telling me they had gotten engaged earlier that evening. This happened regularly. Sometimes as many as three or four young brides-to-be would enthusiastically show me their new engagement rings, exuding joy that comes with the commitment to share your life with someone special.
People also like to do Baptisms during the holidays. I’m already scheduled for a few on Thanksgiving weekend with more to come the rest of the holiday season. These are also often people who come back for the holidays and want their baby baptized in their home parish where they encounter and celebrate God’s love. What a blessing to celebrate that with them.
I even love the fact that the stores are full of energy. It may be a crowded and hectic energy, but I still sense God’s presence in the way people act toward and support each other. They are doing more than just getting the shopping done.
One of my favorite memories of Christmas is standing behind a young boy in a store checkout line. He was buying a gift for his mother but did not quite have enough money. The gift was around $15, and he had maybe $11. I took such satisfaction in giving that boy the $4 he needed to complete the purchase.
I hope it made his Christmas special as a true giver. I hope it made his mother’s Christmas special as a treasured recipient. But I got the real blessing, being able to both help and share in the joy and happiness of a child giving from the heart.
The season and that moment brought out the best in me, and I pray that this season will bring out the best in all of us who rejoice in the wonder of Love itself being born in us and among us.
I know it’s a busy and even stressful time of year for some, but I hope you find moments of peace to reflect on God’s gift. I also hope you find joy and happiness in doing for others. Joy and happiness in making God come alive to those we meet. Joy and happiness in seeing the spirit of St. Nicholas come alive to share faith, hope, and love in as we remember the greatest gift ever given.
I love the season, the celebrations, and the chance to be with friends. I love the special dinners, the music, and the beautiful liturgies. I love that we can enjoy each other enough to let God’s love and light shine through, to be born in our world once again.
St. John says, “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” (1 John 4:16). If we share love with each other, we share the very presence of God. What a gift to both give and receive!
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
