“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. -John 1:32
Christmas has passed, the parties have ended, and our Christmas lights and decorations have likely been put away. Epiphany and the Christmas star that shone over the manger have passed: “The star burned brightly over Him for awhile, though it then faded away” (St. John Henry Newman).
Sometimes I experience a let-down at this time of the year. The forward momentum of the holidays is in the rear-view mirror, and now the work-a-day world sets in with all its responsibilities. Winter days are often dark, dreary, and bitterly cold. Winter has its own challenges of illnesses, icy roads, and cabin fever.
When I start to focus on the negative and dwell in “the land of gloom” (Isaiah 9:1) instead of a “winter wonderland,” I try to pause and reflect on my heart. What’s causing it to go back to any gloom? How can I remember to allow Jesus to continue filling my heart with the hope, peace, joy, and love I prayed for during Advent?
This Sunday’s Gospel passage speaks of the baptism of Jesus, when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and anointed Him for His mission. During the cold days of winter, it can help to remember that the same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus has been sent to our hearts as well (cf Romans 5:5). Imagine your heart is chilly and hard, like the frozen January ground. Now imagine the Holy Spirit coming to shower love into your heart, warming it and softening it like ground under a gentle April rain.
The Holy Spirit is what allows Christmas to stay in our hearts long after the Christmas season has passed. In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge commits to his conversion: “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year” (Charles Dickens). May we make the same commitment. May the light of Christmas not dim, but remain with us through the Holy Spirit on fire within us.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with warming love. Help me to keep the light of Christ in my heart all year long.