The Portal December 2018 | Page 6

THE
P RTAL
December 2018
Page 6
All white now
Julia Beacroft
T he month
to disappoint…
of December would surely not be complete without a Christmas anecdote so I’ll try not
The weather in this country
on Christmas Day can,
however, be something of
a disappointment. In my
lifetime alone I have known
so many grey, warm or rainy
Christmas Days. It’s a strange
phenomenon, but at any other
time during our winter season,
we are relieved if the weather
isn’t too cold, frosty or snowy,
but when it comes to the festive
season, it seems that this is
exactly what we most desire –
but rarely get!
The bookmakers even lay odds on the probability of
us having snow on Christmas Day – but of course they
are rarely out of pocket!
Pure
It seems to me that when we sing the famous words
of Irving Berlin’s film title track , ‘I’m dreaming of
a white Christmas’, we could so easily be referring
Classic
to a lot more than the possibility of snow. Our Lord
The 1954 American musical and comedy film ‘White and Saviour Jesus Christ was born on Christmas
Christmas’ seems to have set this particular turn of Day and as the Son of God was completely pure
phrase as classic and timeless, with the title track and devoid of any sin. His mother Mary, who had
achieving much the same.
been specially chosen by God to bear His Son,
was without stain or spot of sin either. She was
Even today we hear the question “Do you think we’ll completely pure and a virgin.
have a white Christmas?” asked. For most people the
idea of snow and Christmas appear to be synonymous,  White
(as in the film), even though it so rarely occurs in the
So whether we have snow or not this Christmas, we
United Kingdom.
know that it will, indeed, be a white one. White is the
colour of purity and purity abounds on Christmas
Of course as practicing Christians, we have far more Day when we celebrate the Lord’s birth to a virgin and
to think about at Christmas than whether or not it handmaid of God.
will be snowy! The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is
celebrated on Christmas Day and we rejoice that our
Therefore, in conclusion, may we all dream of a
Lord entered our world in the form of a helpless baby white Christmas this year. May your days be merry
to save mankind. And the Good News is that Jesus and bright and in the Lord’s hands – may all your
made it crystal clear in his teaching that he had indeed Christmasses be white.
come to save one and all – regardless of race, creed or
© 2018 Julia Beacroft - all rights reserved
colour.
Julia Beacroft is an author, editor, workshop leader and presenter
in Catholic faith formation. Her book ‘Sanctifying the Spirit’ 
A priest’s alb (under vestment) is white, altar servers
is available to buy from AMAZON, www.waterstones.com
usually also wear a white alb and at baptism we are
or Book Depository. Please visit www.sanciobooks.com
clothed in a white garment. It is no coincidence, of
for more information. Follow Julia on Facebook and Twitter
course, that the colour chosen is white, representing
purity. Of course, snow is also that self-same colour.