Fourth Advent

Matthew 1: 18 – 19

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to be married, Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

What would Christmas be without light? We celebrate with lights in our homes, in our windows, on our trees, and each light is a small bit of praise to God. But we don’t have to wait until Christmas. Advent is also the bringer of light, in a simple, quiet way, as when each week before Christmas, a new candle is lit on your Advent wreath.

Luminaria are also about light. At Christmas, people take small paper bags, fill them with … well, let author Rachel Faith tell it: “Luminarias are the light and soul of Christmas in New Mexico, my homeland. They are beautifully simple: little brown paper bag lanterns, set out on Christmas Eve to pave the holy family’s path to the manger with light”. However, after her father died, the light had gone out of her heart. These lights that she and her father used to make and set out on Christmas Eve would not happen in that sad year, at that sad Christmas.

“The year my father died, no one had the heart to make luminarias. My mother, sister, brother and I left a silent, dark house to sing Christmas Eve carols at church. We dreaded the darkness that awaited our return home, but instead we found a miracle: Our home was surrounded by luminarias, lit and blazing in their full glory.

“My aunt called that evening to confess – my father had come to her in a dream, and instructed her to light the luminarias. ‘Everyone will all be so down in the dumps this year,’ he said. ‘It will be such a great surprise!’” The light of Christmas at its best.