One of my favorite memories of Christmas and Thanksgiving are the family meals that are shared. One of my favorite times I spend with my wife is when she gives me duties in the kitchen to prepare a festive meal or even an everyday meal. I am not a great cook but I enjoy the commandery and joint effort of families and friends chopping and baking and stirring to prepare a meal.
Today the scripture in Malachi 3:2-3 “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the Levites, Refining them like gold or silver, that they may bring offerings to the LORD in righteousness.”
It takes a good deal of heat to cook and a great deal of heat to refine gold or silver. All of it takes preparation to be successful. During Advent we have journeyed through scripture. We learned in Isaiah 40:3-5 to prepare the way of the Lord. We learn in Mark 1:2-3 that there is a person, preparing the way and in Matthew 11:10-15 Jesus says that this person is John. John is the Elijah that Isaiah spoke of.
Just like the fire that purifies gold or silver this season of Advent has prepared us. It is all about the preparation and don’t forget love. Christmas would not be the great religious event that it is, if we had not paved the way spiritually. It would just be a great meal and gifts that mostly we don’t need. Truly the coming of the Christ Child into our hearts is experienced every day at Mass. We start with songs, scripture and then the meal which is Our Savior.
The meals we prepare don’t last long but the preparation takes all our senses, time and participation. The smell of the onions chopped and sautéed to perfection. The roast or poultry severed golden brown. Yes, yes even the mistakes are perfect. All meals we eat are great art and are a function of the creative process.
The reality is this. The actual day of Christmas might not be the most pleasant. In my family, my sister would always insist that the holiday meals be very late because for her it was inconvenient to celebrate too early for her. My Mom and I would sing in the church choir we were tired and would have preferred the celebration to be earlier in the day. Sometimes not everyone was at their best behavior.
My prayer is this. The preparation that we are experiencing this Advent season are extremely important. The truth is some are better experiences than others. Do not think your efforts or mistakes are any less important to God because they are important. We are not preparing not just for Christmas. We are preparing in all circumstances for the coming of Our Savior in our heavenly home. This is a good thing.
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year
Bob Burford
Readings Mallachi 3:1-4, 24-25; Psalm 25: 4-5A,B, 8,9,10 and 14; Luke 1: 57-66
