A Reflection for Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Find today’s readings here.
"What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
Perhaps it’s cliche, but a Scripture reading like today’s, which includes a baby as a main character, automatically turns my attention to the manger. We recently put out our nativity set, hiding the baby Jesus until Christmas Day, and so I’ve been thinking a lot about the connection between new life and the holiday season.
What, then, will this child be?
Those words, uttered by Elizabeth’s neighbors and relatives about her son John, feel especially familiar to me, because Christmas hits differently now that I’m an uncle.
One of my nephews will celebrate his second Christmas this year, and another, just about six months old, will have his first. Neither is old enough yet to understand Santa, but they each seem delighted to be smothered with attention at the various holiday gatherings, where they draw from a seemingly limitless reserve of goodwill. So I think they’re enjoying the Christmas season, too.
I sometimes wonder who these two adorable babies will grow to be, how their personalities will develop and what kind of world they will live in decades down the line. These questions and worries and hopes make the Christmas story more real for me.
Elizabeth’s concerns were surely similar to Mary’s, and I’m guessing some of those anxieties are still common for new parents all these centuries later. Looking at a baby, seeing the awe and wonder they exhibit at nearly every experience, it’s hard not to worry about their future. After all, the world feels especially chaotic today and fear of the future seems especially warranted. At the same time, having little children around during the holidays can’t help but provide a sense of hope.
And when those anxieties about their future do creep up, I take comfort in knowing that John’s relatives had the same concerns, worries and hopes.
Get to know Michael O’Loughlin
What are you most proud to have worked on at America this year?
This year, Outreach hosted a dialogue featuring L.G.B.T.Q. voices from four continents, held at the Jesuit curia in Rome at the same time as the Synod on Syondality. We were fortunate to count as guests many delegates to the synod, who heard firsthand the stories of what it’s like to L.G.B.T.Q. and Catholic. You can read more about the event here.
Do you have any favorite Advent/Christmas family traditions?
Each year, my extended family gathers for a party a few weeks before Christmas. There are about 40 of us, ranging in age this year from 5 months to 75 years old. We rent a large house and stay in it all together, which is both chaotic and a lot of fun. We discovered this year it was the 25th anniversary of the first party. The highlight is of course simply being together, but a close second is a raucous Yankee Swap, for which I’ve taken the lead in adding new rules and games to make it more competitive. Who doesn’t love an increasingly long list of rules at a party?
Do you have any seasonal reading or movie recommendations?
Though the show ended its run in 2004, the sitcom “Frasier” produced several Christmas episodes that hold up remarkably well. For the past several years, my husband and I have made it a priority to watch each episode, usually in the glow of our Christmas tree and with a cocktail in hand. We don’t totally agree on which one is the best, but if you’re starting fresh, try “Perspectives on Christmas” first.
