New Year Reflections
after the commemoration of Christ’s birth
Christmas Day is over, but the evergreen in my son’s home, minus the gifts underneath it, still stands as an honor to the birth of Christ. Some people, feeling a heavy let-down after the main event of the holidays, haul their naked tree to the curb or the attic before the new year begins. In the houses we lived my husband and I kept the tree erect until after Epiphany, the feast that celebrates when the three Magi visited the child Jesus.
As I admire the decorated branches on my son’s tree, I am pleased he holds this tradition. When I am not wearing corrective lenses, the tree lights across the room radiate in a way that is different from when I wear glasses or contacts. They shine in blurry elegance and though I cannot make out any ornaments, it does not matter because the holiday bulbs illuminate so much allure on their own.
If you are not nearsighted and you have never experienced this phenomenon, you’re truly missing out. The best way to view what I am describing is to stretch the skin at the corners of your eyes until things look unclear and out of focus. The view is unlike any other and the only reason I feel grateful for having imperfect eyesight.
after the celebration of a brand-new year
Back home on the third day of January, the neighborhood shows no evidence of holiday hype. The blown-up Santas and Grinches are missing from front lawns and the flashing lights tracing rooflines and highlighting palm trees are gone. Just like that, we are back in contemporary ordinary times.
During the week, I watch one more Christmas movie and open one final gift that arrived post-Christmas while we were gone. Mostly, I relish the memories made with my son’s family that I will cherish forever. Grandchildren’s giggles and shenanigans mixed with great food, drink, and company are priceless.
after the feast of the Magi
It is hard for me to let go of the Christmas season because of its true symbolism and the magic it instills in the young and the old. So, on my way to church this past Sunday, I looked forward to seeing the nativity scene still on display in front of the altar. We sang Christmas hymns throughout the service, including “We Three Kings” since it was their special feast day.
In his sermon, my pastor mentioned two specific Christmas cards he received from among friends and parishioners. They both displayed the wise men on the front, one with the three traveling in search of the Newborn King and the other with the three of them at the manger offering gifts to the Christ Child. “Wise men and women still seek Him” and “Those who seek Him, find Him,” my pastor counseled, paraphrasing the quotes on each card.
It seems like a never-ending goal, this seeking and finding, a forever work in progress. I thought of the tree I beheld with myopic eyes and how much delight it gave me. Knowing I am a flawed human, I hold onto the hope that my search for truth will guide me, as it did the three kings, to God’s “perfect light.”
Today, my church closes the Christmas season by observing the Baptism of the Lord and beginning ordinary time per the church calendar. After John baptized Jesus, the heavens were opened and God spoke, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17) I pray that the King of Kings think the same of me as I navigate the new year pursuing goodness, kindness, and royal beauty.
May God Bless us all as we continue our journey to the end of the year…
