Getting Into The Spirit Of Things

Rev. Carol's sermon-of-the-week was perfectly timed, at least for me. While the official title was "Joy," she talked at length about how the commercialism and hyper-perkiness of the Holidays in our culture is at direct odds with the penitential season of Advent in the Church year. Advent and Lent are supposed to be near-twins — a time for refelection, not celebration. Fine with me. Reflection I can do. Celebration is harder. I felt it was well-timed, given my entry a few days back, and a similar one from
last year (which was in itself a repeat from 1991).

Of course, I couldn't let this realization pass without comment of some sort. It seems quite reasonable to me to hold a season of penitence as the days get shorter and shorter, to be followed by a celebrate-the-return-of-the-light holiday just as we notice the days lengthening again. It's a common theme in many religious traditions — the Winter Solstice is the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, which still dominates much of world thinking. Even better: if memory holds true, the Jewish tradition is to circumcise and officially "name" the male child seven days after birth. This is why the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name on January 1, a week after Christmas. A new beginning, a new year. The importance of the holiday plays into our psyche because it has been orchestrated to do so.

Don't get me wrong — I don't necessarily find that to be a bad thing. Religious experience is difficult to express effectively, so a lot of things can be co-opted to help reinforce the message. It's the indignation one receives, however, when making these suggestions to the average citizen that rankles me.