In retrospect

Now that the Christmas season is over, it's probably worth taking a few  minutes to reflect on my experience of it this year.  Since Advent and Christmas form one volume of the breviary, and they're so closely linked for me, it's probably good to consider them together.

Spiritually, I was really concerned with how the my Advent season began. I still don't understand why we didn't get the wreath out, which is usually such a useful tool for calling me to prayer early in the morning. I love praying the Office of Readings by the candlelight. Instead, two weeks of the season went by before I realized I was passing up an important part of my preparations. But an interesting thing happened in response to that realization, as I finished the Advent season very strongly but didn't have any sense that I'd "done my job" in getting ready for Christmas. As a result, I found I had momentum carrying me forward, causing me to reflect more on the mystery and wonder of the Christmas season than I ever have before. It has made for some neat insights and continued growth.  All that said, I can't help but think it would be more ideal and lend more consistency to my walk were I to carve out that time with the One who loves me most at the outset of every day.

I need to carry these times of reflection into the weeks of Ordinary Time, so I don't enter Lent feeling as if I'm starting from scratch, as I so often do.

Emotionally, there were some challenges this year. Being apart from our baby girl and grandbabies for Christmas for the first time was tough, and I'm pretty confident that it wasn't just we grandparents who found it so. I've also needed to remind myself of the nature of marriage: what it should and shouldn't be, what needs it should always meet and which ones it never can - indeed what really are needs and what are mere wishes.

And musically, it was probably good for me to consider what my role is in our parish worship life.