Thursday 12/4/14

We are one week removed from Thanksgiving now, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I’m thankful for God and the Church. I’m thankful for the teens and the wonderful retreat we had last weekend. I’m thankful for my friends and family. I’m thankful that it’s December 4 ^th and I still haven’t had to touch a snow shovel. I’m thankful that Christmas is coming, and I’m thankful for everything that comes with it.

Speaking of holidays, there’s a good chance you missed a couple last week.

I’m talking about New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

I know you’re thinking I’ve lost it, but I haven’t. The Church tells time a little differently than the secular world. Our liturgical year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, and that was this past Sunday.

Only not exactly. Remember how I said that the Church tells time differently than the secular world? It’s not just when the years and seasons change, but also when one day ends and another begins. I wrote once before about how we are all Spiritual Semites and our Church was born out of Judaism. One of the traditions of Judaism that the Church has kept is the way we judge the start and finish of a day. It has nothing to do with your watch.

Liturgically speaking, Sunday begins when the Sun sets on Saturday. That is why Saturday evening Masses count for Sunday. That means that the new year started for us on Saturday at 4:13 p.m.

So to everyone reading this: Happy New Year. Let’s make it a good one.