Advent Thoughts on Housekeeping

Portinari Altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes, 1476-78.

There is no reason to keep Christmas house for only oneself in the present, only for those we love.

There is reason to keep Christmas house for the memory of the past and to honor that past.

There is a reason to keep Christmas house for the future, so the traditions of civilization and comfort and love for our beloved future generations are ever alive.

Christmas and all the housekeeping that it brings to the lady of the house is what housekeeping is all about: the celebration of love, family, and redemption through love and sacrifice for others.

And so Advent is a time when we prepare our house -- our hearts -- for the birth of Christ.