A Louisiana Christmas

After two years of drought, this November and December has brought an abundance of rain. The abundance makes for both gratefulness and hazardous driving during a busy time of year. But, I guess many blessings are like that bringing potential problems with the good. Holiday food brings calories to burn off and holiday gift giving can strain a family budget. Problems and challenges. Humanity is often fragile. The angelic song, "Peace on earth, good will to men," is needed no matter how good the times seem to be.

On Christmas Eve, our parish priest had led the lighting of numberous bonfires along a nearby river. In South Louisiana it is a custom to light bonfires to light the way for Santa Claus. Here the theme was adapted to symbolize Christ the light of the world who can light even the darkest (and wettest) of nights. On our way to Midnight Mass we passed one of these bonfires still burning despite the rain. It was a symbol of how Christ is present in the midst of human troubles and how we must try to also "shine" with charity despite our weaknesses.

Midnight Mass

Like many South Louisianians and a few North Louisiana residents, we are a a Catholic family. We prefer Midnight Mass to the other choices the Church offers for Christmas services. Leaving the comfort of home in the middle of the night seems like the "friendly" thing to do. Many of us, if we had a friend in trouble, would leave our homes in the middle of the night without questioning the inconvenience. It is a small respectful offering to me to be awake and take the time to gather in the dark of night with others to commemorate the troubles and joy that accompanied Jesus' birth. I think of it as sharing the experience physically with those that are present in this life and spiritually with those who were there at the first Christmas.

We were early for Midnight Mass and I enjoyed watching the worshippers arrive and find their seats. Catholic congregations are much more "ethnic" than the Protestant groups I experienced growing up and in my yound adult years. In almost any Catholic gathering, you will find people with definite Italian, Irish or French features. In Louisiana, the "French" look is defnitely a "Cajun" look. And I am learning the distinguish the German look which has much more subtle distinguishing features than other European groups.

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