December 22nd, 2023
Dear Diary,
I had to drive by myself to the chancery’s Christmas party last night at Razzo’s Steak House because Fr. Tommy said he didn’t want to go. We were on the phone: “What do you mean you don’t want to go? It’s Christmas! Everyone loves the Christmas party — the staff talk about it all year!” Tommy said it’s Amber Friday and he is not going. I was thinking….what? Is that a kind of beer? Amber? Razzo’s’ll have it. Some gal? Relative? So I go all the way down the hall to his office and peek in. He’s working on his computer. No fun lights, no Santas, no tree, no nothing. Gloomy. He’s only got an Advent wreath and nuns chanting on the stereo. AGAIN. I asked him why he doesn’t want to go. “Foot still hurt?” He didn’t say much other than something about Advent being penitential… Friday… all that stuff. I offered to give him a dispensation ’cause I know I can do that ’cause he told me I could a while ago for days like this. He smiled and said he had some correspondence work to finish for me before we shut the place down for Christmas and I let him be. He’s really not into the season. Me? I love it. I start putting the Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving – another fave! – but NOT like the crazy stores that put Christmas stuff up in October! That’s TOO early. Gotta have some selfcontrol. This year there’s been less of a festive mood at the chancery overall. Sure, people are sad about Fr. Rogers but God is merciful, right? I mean, there’s nothing we can do about that now. It’s a season of hope and we should all be together and be happy. I’ve been wearing my Santa hat and my holiday socks. People really like the socks. We’ve even got a xmas sweater for Chester and some raindeer horns but we all agreed to wait for Fr. Gilbert to try to put them on him. He’s been away for a while. We all miss the regular lumpia from his mom. But not last night! Razzo’s great filet minyon and the house’s famous angelhair pasta and then that swirly chocolate mint whipped cream desert thing. I love Christmas!
Loading ...
what’s up with the new crest?
It occurs to me there’s no use getting annoyed with his excellency. He’s a simple creature who mostly thinks about his comfort and convenience like Sancho Panza. Now the people who promoted him into his office, they’re a problem.
Ah ! A new coat of arms ! Just in time for the new category of blessings.
We put up the decor on St. Nicholas’ day. We do more on St. Lucy’s, and trim up the tree. I start in on the cheesy crooner Christmas songs on the 6th. (I like a lot of the gaudy glitter and lore heaped up around Christmas, especially the American stuff. A Talking snowman, flying reindeer, etc.)
I like to think of Advent as penitential, but expectant: it’s the birthday of the King of the Universe… busy getting the house together, putting up the decorations, making sure the pantry is stocked; here and there is a saint’s day were that expectation gets to peak through and you have a couple of treats from the hoard. They should have hit the steakhouse on St. Thomas’ day.
Self restraint is a form of penance, perhaps more so in the midst of bows and lights and fripperies abounding. And the physical act of decoration should remind us to decorate our souls with prayers and readings from the Church Fathers and Scripture. To be ready. For the “Most wonderful tiiiiiime of the year!”
We’ve seen this coat of arms at least once before
Love the tower- Babel, not Ivory….
O my goodness. This is the best diary yet. I just put up the nativity set this morning and turned on the Christmas lights this evening which will stay up until February 2 like we Polish people do. This represents everything wrong about “Christmas” in America which is actually Advent. Unfortunately the bad trend is spreading and even in Poland they are starting to have Christmas carol concerts in Advent, something that would be unheard of a few years ago. Thank you Father Z for the best satire I have read this year.
the left/right split is called “impaling”. what is at the viewer’s left is, in this case, the arms of the Diocese of Libville. Cathedrals generally display the diocesan arms impaled with that of the current ordinary above the Bishop’s Kathedra. In the case of my parish, the arms are quite a distance above said chair.
The Rector of our Cathedral displays – in the rectory – his own arms impaled with those of the Cathedral itself.