The so-called Christmas Season for many can be weeks of
anxiety, guilt, gluttony, depression, and all-around hectic atmosphere. Have
you asked yourself why it has to be this way? The answer is simple yet
profound. We normally spend the weeks leading up to Christmas shopping,
cleaning, decorating, going over our ‘to do lists’ and in a constant state of
panic that we won’t get everything accomplished in time for Christmas (at this
point) a WHOLE TWO WEEKS away.
We’re never quite sure if we can get everything done, so
when the Church asks us to spend EVEN MORE time reading Scriptures, coming to
Church, helping the poor, an on top of all that, the Church tells us we should be FASTING?! Is
the Church kidding? You may even think the Church is “out of touch” with the
reality of Christmas. And this doesn’t even begin to express the general
atmosphere of exhaustion of Christmas Day when the Church ACTUALLY THINKS we
can be in Church Christmas morning when we have ALL THAT cooking to do.
So what’s the answer?......S L O W D O W N!
MAKE TIME for prayer. Make time for reading Scripture. Make
time for helping the poor. PLAN to fast. Tell some friends you can’t make their
party Saturday night because you’re going to spend some quiet family time at
Church. Schedule to have Holy Confession for Christmas. And when you are
decorating your home for Christmas, don’t forget to include some Orthodox
decorations like some Icons which will help you remember what you are actually
preparing for.
The busy ‘preparations’ won’t prepare your soul. YOU have to
do that! Something to think about during the remaining two weeks of the
Christmas Fast.
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