Our Reading:
Luke 2:8-14 (NASB)
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Welcome to the 12 days of Christmas:
The day after Christmas Day – depending upon where you live – is either the first day of returning presents, or, it’s the first day of post-Christmas shopping, or it’s Boxing Day in places like Great Britain. Boxing Day is a public holiday in Great Britain, as well as in countries that were former colonies of the British empire. It is sometimes referred to as St. Stephen’s day after the first martyr of the church. Depending upon which tradition you have heard, the meaning of Boxing Day varies; but, it is commonly held that it was the day the wealthy Earls and Lords in England gave gifts to their employees – the household servants and land stewards who worked on Christmas day.
For most of the Christian church the day after Christmas day begins the 12 days of Christmas – for centuries the real time for celebrating Christmas! Therefore, the first day of Christmas is December 26, and concludes on January 5th – “Twelfth Night”, the day before Epiphany. Epiphany is traditional celebration of the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2 and in some Christian traditions, it is the true celebration of Christ’s birth. Epiphany is a transliteration of a Greek word that means “to show”, or “to appear”, “to make known” or “reveal”. When the wise men came to bring their gifts after following the star they “revealed” the true nature of the baby born to Mary and Joseph – Israel’s King! There is an excellent article on the season of Epiphany on the web site: http://www.cresourcei.org/cyepiph.html
YET, there is another significant – yet seemingly trivial Christmas season song – reason for celebrating these 12 days that lead to Epiphany. Most of us have heard the words to the song named “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree…
The popular song contains references to turtle doves, French hens, calling (or collie) birds, golden rings, geese, swans, maids milking, ladies dancing, drummers drumming, pipers piping, and Lords leaping!
Is the song a simple holiday “diddy”? Or, could it possibly have a further, deeper meaning? For most Americans the 12 days of Christmas are only a cute song that children sing to entertain and imagine with. Epiphany is still celebrated in some churches, but much of Protestant Christianity in America, Epiphany is not a significant celebration – therefore, the 12 days of Christmas have no meaning. The poem of the 12 days lives on, but the purpose and meaning behind the poem is unknown by most believers today.
Historically the Reformation radically changed the face of much of Europe, and in a number of places produced a radical reaction to all things Catholic. In much of the 16th century countries that once were Catholic became Protestant (or at least Quasi-protestant). As a result, and in order to squelch the possibilities that rulers would return to the Catholic church, governments began to enact laws that sought to stop Catholic teachings – even by parents to their children. To circumvent those laws the Catholic Church went underground in many places and sought to hide their more important tenets within poems and stories that conveyed to “the faithful” the real meaning of those teachings. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written to keep the Catholic faith alive when anything written down could lead to imprisonment, or even death.
SO, here we are on the First Day of Christmas --
“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree…”
“My True Love gave to me” – Who is that true love that reappears over and over again in the song? It is the Lord, the Father, our God.
On this first day after Christmas, what the Father has given to me/us reminds us of the true nature of our faith. He has given us Jesus – the Partridge was a symbol that was chosen, because the partridge was the only bird that would die to protect it’s young.
Our Prayer:
Lord, to you belongs worship and praise because you have redeemed us through the gift of your Son, Jesus. Lord Jesus, we honor you, we thank you for your sacrificial life, and on this first day of Christmas we say with confidence and faith that your death has redeemed us from our sins and for that we are full of thanks and praise.
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