Several years ago, during an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) class, it was explained to me that "Catholic" means "universal." My classmates and I were not yet Catholic so we did not know much about the faith and therefore needed even the most basic things explained to us. It is pretty well-documented in the Old Testament that salvation would come from the Jews. Jesus states in the Gospels that He is the way, the truth, and the light. Salvation comes only through Him and He was, is, and ever shall be a Jew. So there you go.
This may not sound particularly "universal" now, would it? But it is. Salvation may only come from the Jews but it is open to anyone who seeks it, including Pagans - even KINGS of Pagans. But it is important to note that in order to receive, one must seek. In other words, it's not about where your origins lie but rather it's about where your heart is, your attitude. King Herod happened to be Jewish, if you could call a figurehead for the oppresive Roman Empire a true "Jew," but he had the wrong attitude, even going as far as trying to deceive those with noble intentions. On the other hand, the eastern kings were foreign to all Jewish people in every way yet they had the right attitude, even going through a great deal of trouble and potentially risking their lives to pay homage to a Jew.
The visitation by the eastern kings to pay homage to the King of Kings generally marks the end of the Christmas season. Traditionally, the 6th of January has been known as "12th Night" and the 7th has been the Feast of the Epiphany. Obviously, Epiphany falls on the nearest Sunday these days. But if you follow the traditional calendar and count the days, you will immediately see that the 6th of January would be the 14th night and that the 7th of January would be the 14th day of Christmas. So what gives?
The answer is simple. Just like in Lent, when counting days, you don't count Sundays. According to the old tradition, Saturday the 5th of January would be the 11th day of Christmas and Monday the 7th of January would be the 12th day of Christmas. "12th Night" would be Sunday night, the 6th of January. So why don't we count Sundays when counting days in special seasons? Well, I think it's because we're supposed to be good EVERY Sunday. No lyin', cheatin', or hurtin' - or your time is gonna come. As an erstwhile co-worker said to me one Sunday when I suggested in jest that we had more work left to do than we really did, "Lyin' on a Sunday?! Day-um!"
Matthew 2: 1-12
For those of you wondering how long to keep Christmas decorations up, it's best to keep them up until Epiphany - so, basically, until today (or tomorrow). Your local rubbish pickup service will still accept Christmas-related items for at least another week or so. In other words, there's really no good reason be in this big hurry to get rid of them right after Christmas Day. After all, it's still Christmas.
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