The end of the year is always a time for reflection especially at my advanced age. I made the three-quarters of a century mark in September. By three years, I have outlived my father who was born one-hundred-twenty-two years ago today as I write this. Christmas has always been my favorite time of year and God only knows whether this will be my last one. Even with that thought in mind, the excitement of the season is not like it once was.
We all seem to long for the way things used to be. Movies like A Christmas Story remind me of my childhood. The Christmas scenes depicted in the movie are just as I remember in this small town where I still live. We loved going from store to store buying presents for our parents. Multi-colored lights with real evergreen garland strung across the streets and Christmas music brought smiles to everyone. It’s just not the same today.
I still love the big C7 or C9 colored lamps on real Christmas trees. The all-white lights look nice, but I like color. What I do not care for are the programmed color-changing LED motion lights that seem to be popular now. I also have a disdain for the inflatable figures people place in their yards. Call me old-fashioned because I am.
So many things seem to be better in the past. Maybe that is just a product of growing old. I want some things to stay the way they were, but that is not how life works. I have been a baseball fan my whole life, but watching MLB games is not as enjoyable as it once was. Greed is slowly ruining sports. So much money is involved that the integrity of the game becomes compromised. Pete Rose was banned for gambling, but sports betting is part of the major league business model now. Free agency, sabermetrics and rule changes detract from the game we knew years ago. Team loyalty is a thing of the past. I could go on.
I grew up listening to music on AM radio. We collected our favorite records and played them over and over. Music is different today, as is the way we listen. Pure talent is overshadowed by auto-tune. I like to hold the media in my hands where I can read the liner notes. Vinyl, tapes, and CDs became part of my personal collection, much of which I still have. Streaming makes me feel like I am paying for the privilege to listen, but I don’t own the collection. I just rent it for a time.
Some of us Catholics long for the return of the traditional Latin Mass. I am not necessarily one of them. I loved it growing up and agree some of the reverence is lost today. We do need to bring back the beauty and reverence for the Holy Eucharist, but we can do it in the vernacular. There is however a certain sense of unity when the entire Church speaks in one language.
In our parish, the long tradition of Christmas Midnight Mass is ending this year. Old age has caught up with our pastor and many of us. Instead of 12 AM, our Midnight Mass will begin at 10 PM. In these winter months, 10 PM does feel like the middle of the night, so I guess we can still call it Midnight Mass!
Despite my longing for the old days, I realize times change. Things come into existence and go out of existence. That is how God’s creation works. Today’s children will have their own nostalgic memories someday. At least, I hope so. However, I do wonder if the best times peaked during my lifetime and we are in a gradual decline now. The traditions that meant so much to my generation may seem mundane to young people today. Kids who sit isolated in front of the computer for hours every day may lose appreciation for personal relationships and family traditions. Perversion of ethical principles is just a click away.
Are there reasons for optimism? I’m encouraged by recent reports of large numbers of college students entering the Catholic Church. Modern society often portrays the Church as being old-fashioned and out of touch. Maybe young people are beginning to recognize the need for moral direction and that bodes well for the Catholic Church. Give some credit to Charlie Kirk. May he rest in peace.
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