Weekly THIS AND THAT for December 20, 2009: Catholics Against the Tide

This and That:
Preparing for Christmas: Catholics Against the Tide


As we prepare next week for the celebration of Christmas I am reminded that it hasn’t always been easy to be a Catholic, nor is it in some parts of the world today. There are outcries from atheists, agnostics and other groups these days to do away with symbols of Christmas. We’re to drop the greeting of “Merry Christmas” and use “Seasons Greetings.” Christmas trees are now “holiday trees” and please, no singing of Christmas Carols, though Rudolph and Frosty are just fine. And what ever happened to “Christmas Vacation”; “Winter Break” doesn’t seem to make it. It looks like “In God we Trust” has come off of some of our coinage, and the list goes on and on. Catholics and other Christians are going to have to rely on their own initiative to keep Christ in Christmas; the culture certainly isn’t going to do it. The following is a story of how our fellow-Catholics supposedly did it for 271 long grueling years in England and left us an important legacy. I say “supposedly” because its authenticity has been questioned. Nevertheless it’s a good story and if they did it so can we!

Fondly,
Father Nicholas


It is a fact of history that from 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. The story goes that someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It can have two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of our Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality that the children could remember.

➢ The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ

➢ Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments

➢ Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love

➢ The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

➢ The five golden rings recalled the Torah or the Mosaic Law, the first five books of the Old Testament

➢ The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

➢ Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit – Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment, Fortitude, Knowledge, Reverence, Awe of God

➢ The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes

➢ Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control

➢ The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments

➢ The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples

➢ The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed

One thing is certain this Christmas, there is no doubt that the culture has gone secular. And while there is no persecution of Catholics in America today, thank God there is the freedom to teach our children the meaning of Christmas openly. Use that gift well this coming week. Don’t count on others, the school, the community, the sports teams, advertising, TV, or the marketplace. You might begin by telling them the story of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”