A Very Lunsford Christmas – Part One

O Come Divine Messiah!

A very Merry Christmas to all! As promised (though a bit late) I wanted to write a little synopsis of my family’s Christmas traditions. They may not be anything new or terribly exciting, but they are kind of different. My mom has written about them once for The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, but I thought some new friends might want to understand what we Lunsfords do ‘round this time of year and why. So, let’s start at the beginning.

Last years gorgeous decorations at church
designed by The Sister Servants

I love that many denominations have pre-Christmas customs and services, like our Catholic tradition of Advent. It always warms my heart to go inside a Protestant church and see those four purple and pink candles sitting around and hearing those strains of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. You can’t miss Advent in a Catholic Church- everything turns a lovely shade of eggplant for the four weeks of December leading up to the 25^th. Advent is traditionally a season of penance, recollection and preparation- but there are so many feasts and customs going on at our house, that it really becomes more of a celebration and excited anticipation than anything!

We began our preparations on the feast of St. Andrew, Nov. 30^th, with the Christmas novena. We recite the beautiful prayer together as a family fifteen times every day for a special intention. This year we had a neighbor as well as a dear friend of mine in need of prayers for healing. So we gathered around our family’s prayer table and Advent wreath for our night prayers. My littlest brother was overjoyed to learn how to operate the child-safety-lock lighter and set the subsequent candles ablaze every night. We pray the novena, sing the weekly verses of the aforementioned Advent tune-age, do a little jumpin’ and hand raisin’ (??!) and settle in for readings from the Bible and one of my mother’s favorite books by Caryll Houselander, “The Little Way of the Infant Jesus". It’s an awesome read for anyone who is interested in the life of the Child Jesus and the theology of holy Childhood. Here’s a quote I loved:

"We are 'other Christs'. Our destiny is to live the Christ-life: to bring
Christ's life into the world; to increase Christ's love in the world; to give
Christ's peace to the world... the Christ-life in us, the infant Christ of our
soul is the only-begotten Son in the hands of God."

Art from Michael Hayes

Our kitchen table is decked out with homemade Advent placemats displaying old Christmas card cut-outs and atop the table sits a dead tree. Yes. Or, actually, a dead branch-  it’s another custom. It’s called the Jesse Tree and it is a calling to mind of Old Testament history and the genealogy leading up to Jesus. For each day of Advent my youngest brother and sister make an ornament (usually drawn on paper but we have a few felt creations hanging on this year) and display it proudly on the branch. (Think: coat of many colors to symbolize Joseph, harp to remember David….) It’s a variation of an Advent calendar, I suppose—though you can bet we’ve got one or two of those as well. Try it yourself next year, especially if you have young kids.

This year's Jesse Tree

We try to avoid watching too many Christmas movies or listening to the Christmas radio station (that’s been playing Bing Crosby songs since the day after Halloween here in AL. Ugh.) during the early days of Advent. But, if we didn’t let some of that sneak in we would never get the chance to experience it all (or, my favorite, Christmas Hallmark movies!!) until the season has finally arrived and when most of the world says it's over. See, the whole 25 Days of Christmas thing is borrowed from the 12 Days (of music fame), an old Catholic custom. Christmas is such a big deal that it lasts for 12 days after the 25^th - until January 6^th, which is the traditional date of the Wise Men’s arrival. Christmas only begins on Christmas.  More on that in a post to follow… We get ready in stages at my house and that creates lots of anticipation.

In our living room, by the fireplace, we display our empty manager from the very start of Advent. Next to it is a bag of pine needles. If the kids in our family (or any of us so inclined to participate) do something really nice or extra to rightly prepare for Christmas, we get to put in some straw. Object: make the manger nice and full and soft (relatively, these are pine needles, after all) for Jesus when He comes.

Ready and waiting for the Baby Jesus Himself

December 6^th is a very exciting day along the way to prepare for Christmas. This is the day that Santa Clause (Saint Nicholas) comes to visit us! Santa Clause is, as we all know, a very real person. He is a bishop from WAY back in the early Church (who got his start punching heretics and helping those in need) who is also the patron saint of children. Every year he brings toys and gifts to children all over the world (the sleigh, reindeer, all that) and in many parts of Europe and in many Catholic homes he comes a bit early. We hang our stockings by the chimney with care the night of December 5^th, watch the movie “Santa and Pete” (Pete is one of Santa’s helpers- keep an eye out for him in some Dutch and Finnish Christmas depictions- we first heard about him from the movie), and leave out some cookies and fruitcake for the duo. We also have a candy cane blessing, since the treat is a symbol for St. Nicholas’ bishop’s crozier, and, as many have pointed out, the ‘J’ in Jesus. (Sanctifying sweets- always a good thing.) My dad puts out the giant lighted candy canes on either side of the porch and a couple by the mailbox and we’re set. I usually tuck a note to the jolly old saint in my slippers by the bed, since (pre-stockings) he would leave gifts in wooden shoes back in Germany. .... The next morning—treats in our stockings!! There are always chocolate coins, (in symbol of St. Nicholas’ contribution to the dowry of three needy daughters) and, usually, other little goodies and maybe something that doesn’t fit inside the stocking lying nearby. It’s exciting, and a great way to remember the origins of Santa. Santa Clause/Saint Nicholas is the real deal.

St. Nicholas, Bishop

Treats left for Santa (and Pete)

Time for more saints!!! On December 8^th we remember the solemnity of Mary’s Immaculate Conception (see post here) by lighting a special candle at prayer and then we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12^th with Mexican food! There is sometimes mariachi music involved. On December 13^th, Saint Lucy makes an appearance. A Swedish custom is for the eldest daughter of the family to rise early and serve her family breakfast in bed on Lucy's day. If you know the Lunsford family, getting up early doesn't work too well. Also, since my youngest sister is, in fact, named Lucy, she took over the serving permanently when she became old enough. We now prepare a cinnamon roll, or the like, and she serves it after dinner. Lucy then runs around the house putting candles (or their plug-in counterpart) in every window, as Lucy means “light bearer”. Since Saint Lucy is the patron of eyesight (um, having lost hers and all that) we always do a second novena prayer leading up to her feast day for someone who has eye problems and is in need of the Lord’s healing.

My little sister, Santa Lucia

The O’Antiphons begin on December 17^th and last until Christmas Eve. We have a banner hanging in the kitchen with each antiphon/prayer and we recite the one for the day before dinner in preparation for the immediate coming of the Lord. And then-- it happens. Christmas.

Why do we do all of this stuff? Is this required of Catholics? Are we crazy? ---My family started most of these traditions slowly, my parents did not grow up with any of it, but they studied and read and heard of things from others. When I was a little kid we began many of the customs. They may have been strange or different at first, but mostly they were exciting. We knew why we did them (to more fully enter into the Season, understand the awesomeness of Christ’s coming as our Redeemer, and celebrate the memory of those gone before us) and we were able to explain it to our friends. (They thought it was pretty cool too.) Advent and Christmas became a very important time for family, and realizing that the family is the central unit of society and the Domestic Church; that the Faith and the rich history of Christianity is a vital part of our day-to-day living.

Ask me questions if you want, or tell me your family’s and church’s customs and traditions. I kinda like the stuff.

War Horse

I've already mentioned this over on Facebook, but I am very excited about several movies on their way to theaters- most especially War Horse based on the book by the same title. And, interestingly enough, the play.

I first took notice of the story after seeing it rack up Tony awards onstage in 2011; including the Tony for Best Play.  I was immediately drawn in by the beauty, originality and characterization of the horses with the historical background of World War I. The puppetry was so realistic and endearing that I was almost disappointed when I heard it was going to be made into a movie! However, as I do not plan to visit Broadway any time soon, I realized $10 at the Rave is my ticket to seeing the full length dramatization.

War Horse, Broadway

After seeing the teaser trailer, specifically the moment when the soldiers mount their horses in the wheat field as the music (by the ever-awesome John Williams) soars, I was brought to tears and realized that the film will be just as powerful as it's Broadway incarnation.

War Horse, the movie 

It warms my heart to see something like this; great art that teaches us the greater truths about ourselves as human persons (dedication, selflessness, honor, love); our connection with God's creatures, and the beauty, love and kindness that brings us through the worst of times.

 I've always loved horses, and period dramas, and military history. So- this is the movie for me. And the play for me. And a book I should probably read. If I can stop listening to the soundtrack.

The Woman For All Women

Today is the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, so I do not want to miss my chance to say a couple of things about the model that we have in the Blessed Mother of Our Lord. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without original sin. She was to be the temple of Our Lord here on earth, the spotless vessel that would house Him for nine months; it makes sense that she would not be an ordinary gal. But the main thing to remember is that Our Lady is also redeemed through the sacrifice of her Son on the cross, like all of us. Jesus' death on the cross transcends time and space, purifying those before and after Him. (Think of it as one of those BC, AD timelines where you have the cross in the center.) His Sacrifice flows from both sides of the cross beam to all those here on earth that lived before Him and all that will live after. We are all able to enter Heaven because Jesus opened the gates, and His suffering gives us the grace we need to follow Him. Our Lady was purified and saved from sin in advance (Jesus' sacrifice is not bound in time) by the very merits of Her Son. It's deep. I know.

It's nearing Christmas so we are all thinking about the coming of the Infant Christ and of His mother and father here on earth- Mary and Joseph. It's a time for us to appreciate and come to a deeper love of the Holy Family. I think my Protestant friends have a fondness for Mary displayed at this season that they do not even realize. We all sing about her during the Holidays, we have images of her in our homes and on our Christmas cards. We love her because she was the first person to hold Emmanuel, God With Us. Shouldn't that make us think how Jesus would love her as an adult just as much as He did looking up into her face as a child? That's why Catholics love and honor Mary-- because Jesus did.

Our Blessed Mother Mary went through everything possible that a woman can experience. She was a virgin throughout her life. She had an unplanned pregnancy. She was married. She was a mother. She took care of a home. She cooked. She worked. She traveled. She lost her husband. She lost her Son. She died. (And I'm only scratching the surface!) She is an amazing woman and I want to deepen my love and devotion to her through the eyes of her Son.

I have been praying a thirty day novena to Saint Joseph, leading up to Christmas, for a special personal intention (please join me in my prayers). While reading through the beautiful prayer, I was reflecting on how hard it must have been for Joseph, as he was nearing death, to think about leaving Jesus and Mary. He would never want to be parted from them! (But what peace to have them at his deathbed!) It struck me especially how it must have hurt Our Lady when Saint Joseph died. They were husband and wife and loved each other as such, though they never consummated that love in the physical sense.  I pray about wanting to find the spouse God has chosen for me and I think about the women, like Our Lady, who found that spouse here on earth and endured the tremendous suffering of being parted from him.  I was very moved this week to hear about the work of Taryn Davis and what she has done to reach out to military widows- and I see a need for groups like this in the Catholic church to reach out to these women through Mary. Mary is the perfect model for all women suffering such a loss. I will be praying for all widows (and widowers) during this Christmas Season in a special way. I can't imagine how hard it is.

I would love to share how my family celebrates Advent and Christmas in my next post, along with all my random thoughts of the season. It's a wonderful time.