Christmas is over this week for many people: the tree taken down and decorations put away. But the mystery of incarnation is too big for a one day celebration. The church celebrates this mystery through the four weeks of Advent and continues through the days of the Christmas season till the Feast of the Epiphany. 

The celebration of the day of Jesus’ birth may be over, but the mystery of his Incarnation is never over. We are reminded of that in the feasts following Christmas day.

December 26. From earliest times, the church celebrated the Feast of Stephen, the first Christian martyr on this day. Stephen imitated Jesus who came in human likeness and took the form of a slave, enduring death, even death on a Cross. ( Philippians 2) (Acts 6,8 ff). “The love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth to heaven,” St. Fulgentius says of Stephen.

December 27. The feast of St. John, the apostle, is another feast celebrated by  the church from earliest times as part of the Christmas mystery. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, John’s Gospel proclaims. Through the Son of God, the new Adam, we became children of God, made to share in God’s glory.

The shepherds heard angels bringing tidings of great joy to all the people at the birth of Jesus. (December 28) we hear cries of the Innocents put to death by Herod the Great so no rivals challenge his power and throne. The shepherds returned to the dark hills after seeings the Child in the arms of Mary. Evil persists after Jesus is born, but the mystery of the Incarnation promises sorrow turned into joy.

January 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God,. Like Mary, we need to keep reflecting on this mystery in our hearts.