A beautiful Christmas quotation

My aunt sent me an e-greeting card this morning. It was a beautiful old fashioned Christmas scene, with a quotation at the top of it which read, “I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year”. Charles Dickens 1843

Most years I personally might say about Christmas, “I will do my best to complete all the tasks of Christmas and make it through the season with a smile, but be grateful to put my feet up when it’s all over and forget about it until next December.”

This year has been different for me though. Because there have been no Christmas social gatherings, no Christmas concerts, no shopping in crowded malls, Advent has been characterised by an uncommon quiet. I have had more time to take long walks, to write a lot of Christmas cards, and to think about the meaning of this season.

This year, I can relate to Charles Dickens’ words and be intrigued by them. What would it be to honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year? My initial thoughts on this are that I would want to try to stay close to the beautiful elements of the Christmas story as I have experienced them this year. Things like Mary’s trusting acceptance of the angel’s words to her, the shepherd’s excitement about going to see the newborn baby, and the Magi’s ability to stay close to God and follow God’s directions about how to find the baby, and why to go home by another route.

I have just begun my pondering of this quotation and I invite you to join me in wondering about how we can honour Christmas in our hearts and try to keep it all the year that lies ahead of us.

May the lead up to Christmas be slow and sweet and peaceful for you and may you experience many moments of deep contentment. Amen