I woke up (for about the fifth time) to some child singing these lyrics on my radio alarm clock--well I heard the "Nutcracker Suite" and the news report first--but it was quite amazing to realize what the text was actually saying (I was still half-asleep when I heard this). And now I've been up for the last half-hour of Christmas morning. Presents will be exchanged relatively shortly, and probably food as well (maybe eaten instead of exchanged, though).
Last night was the first time in 15 years that I did not sing in the Christmas Midnight Mass. Through my years in the St. Luke's and St. Thomas Choirs, as well as randomly waltzing back to a couple makeshift choirs the last couple years at St. Luke's and St. Paul's, it's been quite a run, singing a vast smorgasbord of Christmas church music. So last night I joined the congregation at St. Paul's. It didn't feel all that different, although I think it was the most tired I'd been at Midnight Mass for over a decade.
Last night I played part of the role of Santa. [No, I did not go down a chimney wearing a fat red suit...] But I did indulge myself to a couple helpings of milk and cookies and stuffing a couple presents under the tree (under my real name of course). And while I was indulging in my sugary sweets I realized what I was doing and decided to give out a little Santa laugh just for the heck of it.
But today isn't Santa's birthday. It's just his only traveling workday of the year. It's God's birthday; or, more accurately, it's Jesus's birthday, but since He is also God as well as Son thereof, it is God's birthday as well. And (I think) it is for this reason that the whole Christmas cheer is necessary. Even though we give and treat each other with love and respect as well as anyone on this day, it's how God wants us to act all the time. But too bad in our culture we decide to limit God's birthday to one day. It should be every day. But in the meantime, happy birthday and Merry Christmas.
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