Thanks, TG. We had a very Merry Christmas as well.
And while this is a great time of year, my favorite holiday remains Easter. For with the birth of Christ must come the the death, burial and resurrection.
Yes, for me too, spiritually. In fact, Christmas is best enjoyed in the context of Easter.
At the risk of getting really deep (in one sense or another) in response to a simple holiday greeting: The mysteries of the Incarnation and Pasch give me my most consistently present glimpse into eternity. Obviously, in time, one preceded the other, and the purpose of the Son's Incarnation was not fulfilled until his death and resurrection (properly celebrated as one liturgy that stretches from Holy Thursday to Good Friday). In eternity, though, as I imagine it, all of time coexists in an eternal now. The celebration of the Incarnation is inseparable from that of Jesus' earthly life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection; my salvation and sanctification along with that of all my brothers and sisters in eternity; indeed all of time and creation, of human and universal and celestial history and, above all, God, experienced as an eternal now banquet of worship and discovery and adoration!
Or maybe I just smoked too much pot when I was a kid.
Very interesting ... "In eternity, though, as I imagine it, all of time coexists in an eternal now." Guess I've never thought about it quite like that. Maybe I've never even thought about it.
(Love your last thought! I was thinking maybe it was too much Black Sabbath at 78 RPM!)
Oops. I meant to say "from Holy Thursday through the Easter Vigil." In fact, in those liturgies, the sign of the cross is only made twice: at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and at the blessing at the end of Easter Vigil.
Thanks, TG. We had a very Merry Christmas as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd while this is a great time of year, my favorite holiday remains Easter. For with the birth of Christ must come the the death, burial and resurrection.
Have a great 2008!
Yes, for me too, spiritually. In fact, Christmas is best enjoyed in the context of Easter.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of getting really deep (in one sense or another) in response to a simple holiday greeting:
The mysteries of the Incarnation and Pasch give me my most consistently present glimpse into eternity. Obviously, in time, one preceded the other, and the purpose of the Son's Incarnation was not fulfilled until his death and resurrection (properly celebrated as one liturgy that stretches from Holy Thursday to Good Friday). In eternity, though, as I imagine it, all of time coexists in an eternal now. The celebration of the Incarnation is inseparable from that of Jesus' earthly life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection; my salvation and sanctification along with that of all my brothers and sisters in eternity; indeed all of time and creation, of human and universal and celestial history and, above all, God, experienced as an eternal now banquet of worship and discovery and adoration!
Or maybe I just smoked too much pot when I was a kid.
Very interesting ... "In eternity, though, as I imagine it, all of time coexists in an eternal now." Guess I've never thought about it quite like that. Maybe I've never even thought about it.
ReplyDelete(Love your last thought! I was thinking maybe it was too much Black Sabbath at 78 RPM!)
Oops. I meant to say "from Holy Thursday through the Easter Vigil." In fact, in those liturgies, the sign of the cross is only made twice: at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and at the blessing at the end of Easter Vigil.
ReplyDelete