As we’ve slogged toward the end of this strangest of years, it’s taken me more time than usual to find my holiday spirit. The anticipation of gathering with friends and family and co-workers is absent this year, and while in many cases we’ll replace the in-person visits with phone calls or video chats, it won’t be the same. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to plow its destructive path, skipping these traditional holiday parties is the prudent and charitable thing to do. That being said, missing the conversation, laughter and, yes, food, normally shared in these weeks leading up to Christmas has sapped some of the joy from the season. This excellent and timely piece by Leonard DeLorenzo, a professor at Notre Dame and frequent writer for Our Sunday Visitor, has caused me to consider that the source of my joy might be misplaced. Using the voice of St. Nicholas — the fourth-century bishop of Myra (and the inspiration for Santa Claus) — DeLorenzo writes: “This Christmas is a season to begin to heal from your slumbering sadness. Certainly, it is not enough to just suddenly say, ‘OK, I accept Christ as God!’ You have to feel it in your fingers, feel it in your toes. You must profess it and live it. That is a hard thing to will all at once.” “So here, then, is some advice from your jolly old St. Nicholas: Just let yourself rejoice. Even if you do not feel joy, follow others who do. As the gloom of this year seeps into next year, focus on giving thanks during this Christmas season. Choose to give thanks rather than remain melancholic and anxious. It is not right for us to weep in a time of celebration, and Christmas as the feast of the Incarnation is a time of great celebration.” Scott Warden Our Sunday Visitor |
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