We kept our Christmas decorations up this year until the Baptism of the Lord, the 2nd Sunday of January. Our final Christmas holy hour was celebrated three days before the baptism on that last week of the Christmas season. We still find it hard to understand how so many take down their decorations just as the Christmas season begins. It must be because the Christmas decorations go up so early which preempts the entire Advent season which is one of the most beautiful liturgical seasons of the year, as we wait with Israel for Emmanuel to come.

The liturgical clothing of baptism is the pure white robes the catechumens receive as they emerge from the baptismal waters. Jesus blessed his Baptismal feast this year with one of the largest snow storms we’ve seen in these parts in years. All our priests managed to drive home from our weekend parishes and get back to the monastery that Sunday before the storm hit.