A Christmas Story

So there I was this morning--at Mass and "in the zone" (at the end of the Consecration prayer). We all stood up to say the Our Father. The couple in front of me were holding hands (kind of a pet peeve of mine) so I looked around to see who else was holding hands, and who did I see? SANTA CLAUS! in the orans position, reciting the Lord's Prayer with solemnity and conviction. I couldn't stop watching him. He beat his chest humbly while saying "Have mercy on us" during the Agnus Dei. He genuflected before receiving the Eucharist. It was a very poignant moment for me. My first thought was, "Here is the Number One icon for a secular Christmas showing devotion and humility to the True King who is to come and the REAL reason for Christmas! The funniest thing about it is that I didn't see him until just after the Consecration! Did he sneak in? I don't think so. Was it magic? Nah. As I said, I was "in the zone" and paying attention to Christ on the altar and the Crucifix and in the Eucharist until He wanted me to notice that even the make-believe saints love and adore Him.
By the way, this guy was a PERFECT Santa. No extra do-dads or gimmicks. He had the white hair and beard. No hat--showing respect for our Lord. Just the right shape for Santa, if you know what I mean. The belt and the boots were glossy and his cheeks were red (naturally, like he had just come in from the snow). The glasses fit at the tip of his nose just where you would think they should be. He was the right age, too--you know, grandfatherly, but not OLD. He looked like he could circle the globe in a single night pulled by reindeer without breaking a sweat.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!