December Drinking Companion

This months drinking companion was an easy decision, Jesus! The King of kings, the Lord of lords who’s birth we celebrate December 25. His sidekick St. Nicholas will get a little spotlight at the end. December 25 is actually only the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas, not the end. The moment leading up to these days is called Advent, which is a season of preparation, similar to Lent. In addition at the end of the 12 days we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany which is a big day in the Eastern/Orthodox churches throughout the world. This is the day more commonly known more as 3 kings day.

What’s the point of this historical figure? Why should we even care? These were some of the many questions I would ask myself, during a span of 15 years I was away from the Church. There was always one day that drew me closer, no matter how far away or depressed I was,. Christmas Eve, and the midnight Mass which was to celebrate the coming of he King of Peace. For some reason I always felt peace on that night, as I would look up at the moon wondering if God and all I was taught growing up was really true, including jolly ole’ St. Nicholas. As the years had gone on, I eventually took Jesus up on His words of “Ask, Seek, and Knock, for it will be given, seen and opened” I have grown into a fuller understanding of why we do many of these things, and Jesus grows in me a little more every year, as the ego of me lessens. The same could be said for my coffee experiences, which is why I cross the two together.

This precisely is who Jesus was, is and is to come. As the Christ, the Messiah, He turns the world upside down from all it’s political objectives, since He was not the fighting messiah many want. He is the King and Creator who puts in order everything, and He leaves that high throne, to come to the lowest and darkest parts of the world, to illumine it with a light of humility. In that humility, He shows the way to a new life, that cannot be destroyed by any worldly power. As we see a fragile and defenseless baby in the manager, we see the trust of God to protect this child from all the harmful elements of the world, eventually until that day where Jesus will give it all, for us, because we are all too broken and selfish to do it for ourselves, it is our original sin and why we need a savior. We want to be like God, but we don’t want the responsibility that comes with being God.

This is the Good News though, the gospel we share, that God so loved the world, He sent His only Son to reconcile it back to Him and His will. This is what it means to have a Savior in Jesus Christ. Reality is when we look at our entire history of humanity, it’s broken and no matter what we do to fix it, we usually make it worse. While modern technology and advancements are amazing, and the blessings of our country are the greatest in civilization, we still continue to commit the same old evils of history. Slavery, abortion, murder, gluttony, inhibiting of our minds, and the endless list of creative ways we suffocate our souls will never end. These things recreate themselves today to look progressive, but in the end is only degenerative and regressive pagan/worldly ways we moved away from a long time ago.

In close I want to share a small thought on what it means to be Catholic (universal). Just as Jesus came to reunite a divided people, the 12 tribes of Israel, and then the Gentiles, so too we seek that unity in a divisive time. This is what it means to be Catholic/Universal. We are not a denomination, but instead the "whole” mystical Body of Christ as baptized Christians (meaning all Christians are catholic). We humbly surrender to Christ, in the the midst of all the broken leaders we have in the Church, in trust, that God will make straight with all the evil, just as He did when He was crucified. There was a Resurrection and new life. This is our 2000 years of history, constant failing and suffering, while remaining unified through the Eucharist and liturgy. While countries and politics fade away in their worldly ways, the Church always renews, regenerates, and grows from her mistakes. Even the political Israel, Byzantine Empire, Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, etc were wiped off the map at some time or another, but the Church, the new Israel and Jerusalem, which is not earthly, always remains, because Jesus is at the head of this Mystical Body. Get busy living because He is coming, and get busy dying to the world and self. It is through this true peace will be achieved.

St. Nicholas whose feast day we celebrate December 6 was know for upholding the Christian understanding of the “Holy Trinity”. Tradition has it, that when Arius (leader of Arianism, the original thought which Islam spawned from) denied the divinity of Jesus. Nicholas in anger punched Arius in the face for the wrong teaching of who Jesus said He was.. He was arrested, but later released due to his good standing and influence on defending the faith. The creed we recite every weekend was influenced by St. Nicholas and others as the Council of NIcea in 313. Constantine and other Arians wanted the church to go in a more political direction, that later became Islam. Legends over the years and modernization is what has led us to the modern St. Nick that appeases the masses with presents if you appease him with good behavior. This is anything but who he really was. He like Christ, gave gifts to those in need, not because they were deserving, but because it was right to do so helping those in most need.