Happy Advent, Denver Chestertonians,

Our December Chesterton society meeting is next Monday, December 9th. As always, we start at 7:15 pm in Room #107 at the Archdiocese of Denver/St. John Paul II Center at 1300 South Steele Street.

We will continue our discussion of Chesterton’s The Thing: Why I Am a Catholic. starting with Chapter VIII, Why I Am A Catholic. We will also add some of Chesterton’s Christmas poetry and essays, and we’ll even have a little Advent party with snacks and drinks.

Christmas presents are a standing protest on behalf of giving as distinct from that mere sharing that modern moralities offer as equivalent or superior. Christmas stands for this superb and sacred paradox: that it is a higher spiritual transaction for Tommy and Molly each to give each other sixpence than for both equally to share a shilling. Christmas is something better than a thing for all; it is a thing for everybody. And, if anyone finds such phrases aimless or fantastic, or thinks that the distinction has no existence except in a refinement of words, the only test is that which I have indicated already —the permanent test of the popular. Take any hundred girls from a board school and see whether they do not make a distinction between a flower for each and a garden for all.

(From The Theology of Christmas Presents, 1910)

and

The Other Stocking

I hope to see you all on December 9.

Mark