Pondering My Christmas Gifts - The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Greetings and Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year Beloved Readers,

I own 4 different film versions of A Christmas Carol. I have the Alistair Sim version, George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, and Muppet versions. According to IMDB there are at least 24 film versions including television. I would love to see them all. George C. Scott’s is my favorite and I only tolerate the Muppet one. In Scott’s version Edward Woodward (better known for his role in The Equalizer) portrays the Ghost of Christmas Present remarkably. Every time I watch him in this role I am galvanized to spread the presence of Christmas every moment I can.

Faith Hill’s song Where are You Christmas does the same thing to me. The common connection is they both offer the real possibility that we can carry the Spirit of Christmas with us always if we choose to do so. I know that many people do not get why Christmas matters so much to me. I will try to explain it.

You see, like everyone else who lives, I am a fallen, covetous old sinner. I have no hope from myself and could never truly help myself. Then God had this great idea (not literally because if you are omniscient you do not have ideas). He decided that he would rather die than live without us. He gave us himself as a perfect gift. How amazing is it that Christ was willing to live among us, be one of us, and let us murder him and all for our benefit. None of that is possible without the Incarnation, or taking on of flesh by God. It is what makes God our Immanuel (God with us), allows him to be named Jesus (savior), allows him to be called Christ (anointed one), and gives us a reason to have Christmas (literally Christ- Mass or the celebration of Christ).

If the God I sin against daily would do so much for me, how do I dare miss a day of celebrating his incarnation. I have undergone some major changes in the last year, some by choice, others forced upon me. I have decided that never again will I hide my daily love for celebrating the Advent of Christ. As I move through the year and see how the liturgical calendar revolves around the Advent and Resurrection of Christ, I will find ways to celebrate him even while the trees and nativity scene are in storage. I will do it by remembering what Christ loves most; that is man.

Dickens, using the ghost of Jacob Marley said better than I ever could. “Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Anything I do must be charitable, merciful, forbearing, and benevolent. So in closing out this series of writings I again echo Charles Dickens, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me.”

Perhaps when my children speak of me to their grandchildren, they will be able to echo Dickens’ words about Scrooge relating them to me. “…and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.”

So on the Twelfth day of Christmas, my Savior gave to me twelve months to celebrate him, eleven months to prepare, ten reasons to love him, nine men to guide me, eight men I can help see, seven figures under the tree, six more days of rest, five perfect things, four children to gather round me, the blessing of the Trinity, twice the joy of giving, and a purpose for carrying his tree.

Wishing you joy in the journey, Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year

Aramis Thorn