As everyone trickles back in to campus, I wanted to touch base and remind everyone that our first Mass of the semester (and the first of 2012) will be this Sunday at 7:30pm. This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. That got me thinking about all the other feasts and memorials that have been celebrated in the Church calendar since break began.
Are you aware of all of these important dates?
Obviously we have Christmas on Dec. 25, otherwise known as the "Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord," when we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh.
On Dec. 26 we celebrated the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr (read Acts chapters 6 & 7). Most people today remember this date from the traditional carol "Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the Feast of Stephen..."
Dec. 27 was the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.
Dec. 28 was the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Gospel reading from that day is from Mt. 2:13-18. It recounts how King Herod was deceived by the magi who told Joseph to take Mary and their baby and flee into Egypt. Herod issued an order that all boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem age two or younger be slain, because he was afraid of the prophecy of a newborn king. All of the innocent children who died at Herod's command are considered martyrs by the Church, because they died on Christ's behalf.
Last Friday, Dec. 30, was the Feast of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph). And Sunday, Jan. 1, was the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
This past week we have celebrated the Feasts of St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, both Doctors of the Church, on Jan. 2,; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, early American saint, on Jan. 4; and another great American saint, St. John Neumann, on Jan. 5.
It truly is a season of feasts and celebrations! And all of this, I remind you, takes place during the Christmas season, which is still ongoing.
Despite the fact that the stores start setting up for Christmas practically the day after Halloween, and if you happen to go shopping on Dec. 26 you are likely to see Valentine's Day displays, the actual Christmas season according to the Church does not begin until Dec. 25 and runs for a couple of weeks.
This Sunday we celebrate the Epiphany, when the magi from the east come to pay our Lord homage. And the following day, Jan. 9, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which marks the official end of the Christmas season.
So even though the secular world may be telling us "the holidays" are over, remember we do not take our marching orders from them! There are still a few days of Christmas left, so as we move back into our dorms and get ready to start a new semester of classes, let's not forget to stop and wish one another a Merry Christmas!
Pax,
Matt
--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
(828)293-9374 | POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723
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