Day 4: Tuesday

Christmas at Saint Anselm Abbey is a highlight of the year. Here's a glimpse into the season from Fr. Benet Phillips.

The Message of Christmas

I imagine most families have traditions and customs that make an annual appearance during the holiday season. These traditions help create connections and bonds; they help form the family’s identity and dynamic. For example, when I was growing up, Christmas Eve was the night of nights. As a family we would gather on Christmas Eve, share a meal, and exchange presents. This Christmas Eve tradition was one that I recall each year with great fondness. In sense it had sacramental character – in fact the name of God was often invoked while the meal was being prepared, the presents wrapped and house decorated to within an inch of its life.

Like any family, we as a monastic family have our own set of traditions and customs that help us to celebrate the birth of Christ. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we take Advent seriously in the monastery. We use the quiet season of Advent, with its colder days and longer nights to set the stage, if you will, for the feast and pageantry of Christmas.

A few days before Christmas we decorate the Abbey Christmas tree and the sounds of the Boston Pops Christmas CD ring out in the Chapter Room (monastery community/recreation room). We decorate the Church and monastery on Christmas Eve afternoon – our preparations are many: cleaning, polishing, putting up trees, struggling with the strings of lights that worked last year. Wondering “where did we put …?” And “have you seen…?” Special foods are prepared – the smells of pork pies and silver polish waft through the house. It’s a great afternoon albeit not without highly skilled negotiation and compromise – “you’re going to put that there”… interesting. And then – tired and sore we process into the Church for First Vespers (Evening Prayer), and as we hear Brother Andrew playing “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”, we know it’s Christmas.

Story telling is a great tradition in monasteries and our monastery is no exception. Sitting around the fire place on Christmas night, after a festive meal prepared by one of the monks and a crew of volunteers and served by candlelight, we regale each other with stories of Christmases past and of confreres past and present who by their prayer and work brought the message and meaning of Christmas to life for each of us in our monastic community.

Questions for reflection:

1. As a family how do you prepare for Christmas? 2. What are some of your family customs or special meals or foods? 3. What is your favorite part of your family’s celebration? 4. Who in your family brings the message of Christmas to life for you? 5. How do you bring the message of Christmas to others?

Prayer for Families by Pope Francis

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love; to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.