Domestic delights during holiday heydays

Christmas Eve, and things have finally slowed down enough for me to look at the blog again. I’ve been home for a little over a week now, but time passes different when I’m at home than at school. There are so many daily concerns which make the time pass fast, but at a lazy, unstructured pace. The past week has been a constant string of visiting and receiving visits, playing with the little ones and cleaning up after them, family meals and doing the dishes, carols, wrapping gifts, enough Christmas lights to rival the winter sky—I’ve once again fallen in love with domestic life.

We will sing the Midnight Mass tonight, my older brother is the choir director. And tomorrow the Christmas day party is here at my parents’ house. (See the picture above for our Christmas tree. We didn't keep the smiley face.) The weather has been gorgeous, although not very traditional: 70s by midday with clear skies and sunshine; the evenings are cool.

Selections from a Chesterton poem for your enjoyment, a reflection on the Madonna and Child.

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
( O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright. )

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair was like a star.
( O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are. )

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
( O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world’s desire. )

Dare I write anything after the master? At the danger of being presumptuous, I will at least notice that the last words of every line on the final stanza: heart, fire, world, desire. Does it need to be spelled out any more? The desire of this weary, weary world is the great fire of love, Christ’s heart.

Christmas blessings be with you; the fulfillment of the desire of your heart.