Do you remember when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to earth? I know, that was 50 years ago, but everyone’s still talking about it. That celebration lasted for weeks, with ticker-tape parades all over the country.

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Sending three men into the heavens and bringing them back to earth was really something, but sending God to earth as a man and then back to heaven was even bigger! That’s why we celebrate Christmas every year for at least two weeks, from Christmas Day, December 25, until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after Epiphany.

And those Twelve Days of Christmas when your true love gave something to you? Go ahead and count them: they are the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany, January 6. So how do we celebrate? Easy. Parties, good food, fine wine, singing, movies, games, sledding, tobogganing, fireworks, air horns, visiting relatives, and visiting Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament at your local Church for twelve days just to say thank you!

And … it is possible to over-celebrate? Yes. If you put on more than twelve pounds in those twelve days, you over did it. But don’t worry, Lent will be here soon enough.

P.S. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.