Orthodixie

There was a time, not so long ago, when Christmas cards, religious pictures, and Nativity Scenes would portray St Joseph as an older man. After all, this is the Tradition of the Church.

These days, not so.

Last week while visiting family in North Carolina, I saw a discouraging sight … It was a Roman Catholic church building that looked like, ahem, well – suffice it to say, it did not look like a place of Christian worship! Rather, it resembled an Elementary school building: brick façade, green metal roof, no steeple, no statue — not even a Cross. You wouldn’t know it was even a church if not for the sign out front.

Then, beside the church sign, there was a big banner saying: “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Portrayed on the banner was a graphic of what’s popularly known as the Holy Family – but Joseph and Mary were the same age … they looked like young hippies in love, staring down at their new bundle of joy.

I wanted to scream: HEELLLLOOOO!

I mean, shouldn’t we be encouraging people to keep the MASS in Christmas? Face it, if we believe as we claim to: Christ is already there!

Yet it is the MASS, the Divine Liturgy for the Feast, that constitutes Christ’s Mass – CHRISTMAS! Such slogans are intended, of course, to remind us to remember Jesus amid all the holiday business of the shopping season that stretches from, at least, Thanksgiving to …

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Just back from North Carolina, just before heading HERE … regular updates, God willing, in the new year.

1) A Complaint Against the World …

No advantages do you offer those who love you, O world, you dwelling-place of sorrows. All who draw near to you do you seduce with your treasures and with all your delights, but in the day of death both the fair countenance of the beautiful and the might of the strong will be cast down into the grave. Woe to him who loves you and is loved by you, for his joy will be transformed into cries.

In the world — the sea of sin — all my days have passed in vain. My life has gone by without bringing me any profit. I have even forgotten about the day of death. I have whirled about and gathered a burden of sins, whole sheaves of tares destined to be consumed by fire. And behold — lamentation and sighs await me in that land full of horrors.

Because I have loved you, O cunning world, from youth through old age, the time of my life has passed without my notice; and lo, in sin will death steal me away. O, if only I had never set foot in you, O world that deceives all who enter! Those who love you enjoy no pleasures, and those who hate you weep not. Blessed is he who has torn your snares asunder — he shall inherit the habitation of joy.

This world deceives even the wise with its appearance, for at times it appears desirable. It even offers benefits and treasures for loan, but in the day of death it will take them back and give in return torment incomparably greater than our sins. For a short while will it let us sin, but as a reward it will give us eternal darkness.

Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and righteous is Thy judgment that condemns the world and those who love it! Therefore do I pray Thee that Thy right hand which pulled Simon out of the sea might also pull me out of the waves and the tumult of this world that rise up against me. I have become mired in filth; the waters of the world are drowning me, they do not let me break loose to catch my breath. May Thy Cross, O Lord, be my staff and my support on the path along which I walk.

— St Ephraim the Syrian

2) A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence. He’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. “Cold floors,” he says. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. “Bad food,” he says. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. “I quit,” he says. “That’s fine,” the elders say. “You have done nothing but complain since you got here.”

Thanks to FWD from Ron Ford.

3) You, too, come to Christ … Don’t think of the long journeys … One reaches him, the omnipresent one, through love, not by seafaring. Yet, since the floods and storms of manifold temptations are common enough on this voyage, too, believe in the crucified one so that your faith is capable of climbing onto the wood. Then you will not sink …

— St Augustine

Christmas is a time for clothes. It’s one of the few times that I actually notice clothes. I am no clotheshorse or trendsetter. Thanks to Christmas, I have never bought a pair of underwear … for myself. Ever.

Christmas finds even the houses, trees, and pets clothed in festive array. During the season you will see some of the oddest outfits that you will ever see — and many of the prettiest will remain on the mannequin; ‘tis the dressiest time of the year.

Christmas and clothes … go hand in hand. In fact, at some age, usually in your late teens, for some reason, most of the Christmas presents you receive become clothes. For this I am truly grateful,else I might still be wearing platform shoes and silk shirts. (Wait. Are those back in style yet?)

Contrary to that song, Santa Baby, sung by the mis-named singer, Madonna, it’s not about Santa – or, really, the Baby. The reason for the Feast and the season is: God became flesh. The Word was clothed in human flesh. Within the Virgin Mary the Word was clothed with human flesh … and Christ, the Son of God — eternal and before the ages — was born a babe. Jesus: God dressed in human flesh …

Yet it may happened during the holiday season that we ask ourselves: “Am I doing this right? Is this the way to celebrate the birth of Christ?”

What is the right way to celebrate the birth of the Saviour? No matter how we answer this question, one thing is certain: CLOTHES. We’ll put them on, we’ll try them on, we’ll give them, and we’ll receive them. We may find that we’ve outgrown them. [This time of year does have a way of clothing us with a few more pounds.] Nonetheless, somewhere amid all the cares, burdens, and worries of the Christmas season, you might ask yourself: “Am I doing this right?”

Whether we celebrate something once in a lifetime or annually we have a tendency to want to do it right — as if the moment depends on us! Usually, we overdo it. Our sinful pride clouds our vision. We think the more we do — the better things will be. We fall prey to the Serpent’s lie from the tree and view ourselves as gods.

Say, didn’t this lead to worries about clothing to begin with?

Speaking of which …

You know that part in the Book of Genesis where, when after the transgression, Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves from God because they were naked …

And, God makes them garments … garments of skin?

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In the days of the king who enrolled people for the poll tax, our Savior descended

And enrolled people in the Book of Life.

He enrolled them, and they enrolled Him. On high He enrolled us,

On earth they enrolled Him. Glory to His Name!

— St Ephrem the Syrian

Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham.

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