On the 2nd day of Christmas...

Most people don't know this, but the Twelve Days of Christmas are the days following, not preceding, Christmas. Whereas merchants and radio stations would have you believe that Christmas ends at 11:59 pm on the 25th, it has really only just begun. Today, the second day of Christmas, is St. Stephen's Day. In Living the Christian Year Bobby Gross writes,

"It may come as a surprise that the church remembers the first Christian martyr immediately after Christmas Day. But the connection reminds us that the child in the crib will one day die on the cross, and that many who have followed him have given their lives in witness to his light."

He also states,

"Christmas- not just the single day but the festival of twelve days- offers us anew this gift and draws us again into this mystery: Word-become-flesh, Creator-turned-creature, immensity-contained, fullness-poured-out, power-made-vulnerable, eternity-subject-to-time. All this self-giving by God for our sakes- a gift immeasurable, a love incomprehensible."

In his book, which is a liturgical (and thought-provoking) devotional guide, Gross provides many ways in which we can inhabit all of Christmastide. While the big box stores may have moved on to Valentine's Day, let us dwell in the season of Christmas, getting to know the Christ child anew.  Merry Christmas!