“You go to pray: to become a bonfire, a living flame, giving light and heat.” —St. Josemaria Escriva
As Christmas Eve draws ever closer, and being born and raised in the River Parishes, this quote caught my eye and birthed inspiration. For those of you who don’t know, or may not be from the area, the tradition of building bonfires along the levee of the Mississippi River to light on Christmas Eve has been going on since the late 1800’s. Generally starting around the week of thanksgiving, friends get together to begin the cutting and hauling of wood to the levee in order to start construction of the bonfires. As the weeks lead up to Christmas, the hard work and fun continues until the completion of the pyre to be lit that night.
On Christmas Eve, family and friends gather together along the river. It is a festive time of sharing food and drink with others, opening up and welcoming visitors from neighboring parishes. Once darkness overtakes the light of the sun completely, the bonfires are lit with much celebration, fireworks, and cheer. In French, the term for bonfire is, “feux de joie” or “fire of joy“. A joyous occasion continues into the wee hours of the morning until the fires die out, celebrating Christmas, spending time together, reminiscing about old times, and enjoying the warmth of the fire. (If we are lucky enough, the heat is welcomed and not a cause of excessive sweating. South Louisiana Christmas Eve temperatures can range from the 80’s to the 20’s.)
This sharing with family and friends, the building and lighting of the bonfires, and the celebration that follows, works hand in hand with our faith. We begin around Thanksgiving with increased prayer and awareness of the coming of the celebration of Christ’s Birth. We begin the Advent Season preparing ourselves for the joyous time, building our spiritual bonfires so they will be ready to light. We share that light and warmth that we have been working on throughout Advent with friends, loved ones, and strangers during the Holiday Season, culminating on Christmas.
The bonfires eventually die out. The light fades as the warmth turns cold until nothing remains but the ashy, charred remnants of the once beautiful structure. The Challenge: How can we keep our spiritual bonfire lit so that we may be living flames, sources of light and warmth to others year round and not just burn out and fade away until next year?
Let us pray. Father, as we prepare for the upcoming birth of Your Son, Jesus, help us to be “feux de joie”, fires of joy for our love and faith in You through our daily prayers, devotions, and acts of kindness. We implore You to send Your Holy Spirit to help us make the time we need to get away from our every day activities and give You thanks and praise for all You have given us, and the strength to persevere throughout the year to maintain our relationship with you. Let Your Spirit aid and assist us in keeping our living flame lit, being a source of light and heat to those around us, all for Your Greater Glory. In Your Name we pray. AMEN.
God Bless You All,
You are in my prayers,
Scott