I read an interesting tidbit about the "Partridge in a Pear Tree." I already knew that the partridge meant Jesus, and that the partridge was considered in medieval and renaissance times to represent something cherished for its excellence. (St. Ignatius said that the Imitation of Christ was his partridge.) But the tidbit concerns the pear tree. Turns out there was a legend or tradition that if a girl would walk three times around a pear tree, she would see her husband-to-be. So the Christmas partridge in a pear tree is Jesus, the Bridegroom of the Church! Isn't that delightful? It links perfectly with the liturgical connection (highly developed in the Eastern churches, but also present in the western liturgy, if you know where to look) of the Nativity, Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord with the Wedding at Cana. (In fact, the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Christmas, which in the U.S. is supplanted by Epiphany, is the wedding at Cana.)
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
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Yes, that's a great reflection. I love that antiphon for Epiphany that runs like this: "Three mysteries mark this holy day: today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to brings us salvation."
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