Christmas in March!
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
You may remember the TV commercial for Crazy Eddie’s electronic store where this frantic man dressed as Santa was shouting it was Christmas in August. They were trying to sell televisions and stereos. But Christmas in March?
Yes. Christmas in March. Last week I wrote about our break from Lent as we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day. This week we have another celebration that is far beyond any saint but, unfortunately, can be very easily overshadowed by our observance of Lent. It is certainly missed by our culture. There will be no parades and no special food to mark this day.
On Tuesday, March 25th, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Exactly nine months before Christmas, we remember the moment of Jesus’ conception when the angel Gabriel visited Mary.
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you…. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” [Luke 1:26-38]
Of course, our December celebration of Christmas is a great feast. For our Christian faith, it is second only to Easter when we celebrate Christ’s victory over everything, even death itself.
But March 25th is truly when it all began. In this exchange between Mary and the Holy Spirit the infinite God entered our finite history and all of creation was made a new. This moment is so significant to our faith that it is recognized when we pray the Creed. The rubrics [guidelines] ask us to bow our head’s when we pray the words “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.”
In Father Mike Schmitz’ YouTube series, “The Catechism in a Year,” day 67, he tells us the four reasons the Word became flesh 1) to save us by reconciling us with God, 2) so we might know God’s love, 3) to be our model of holiness, and 4) to make us partakers in the Divine Nature.
That one sentence is filled with many incredible mysteries. Perhaps Tuesday may be a good opportunity for us to think and contemplate the mystery of Incarnation and how it is reflected in our lives, in the life of our parish, our church, and our world.
For those who are interested, Day 67: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzcC4Gj3pqc&t=2s Father Mike offers more insights into the Incarnation on Day 68 as well.
Merry Christmas, in March!
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