I am the crowd
The extra Christmas table place setting
Photo By: Flickr/ Aaron Gustafson
Have you ever considered making an extra place setting at the Christmas dinner table? What about placing hay underneath the white table cloth? I have to admit a simple idea I had turned into a dramatic revelation – Jesus is left out.
This year my husband and I decided to have a Russian Orthodox Christmas dinner at our home for a dear friend at our church who was adopted at the age of 2 years old from Russia. I felt led to give her a taste of her home country and so I set out to change the menu a little bit (after all, following Thanksgiving who wants a new menu other than turkey or ham?) and perhaps include a prayer or something. I had no idea what this planning would teach me.
I wonder how many of us have looked into Christmas traditions of other countries. Christians from around the world can teach us a lot about really “keeping Christ in Christmas”.
I set out to research, learn, and teach myself as much about a Russian Christmas tradition as I could and during the process my eyes began to open. One of the first things that stuck out to me is the fact they use a white table cloth and place hay under the table cloth. The hay is to symbolize the manger Jesus was in when he was born. The white table cloth represents the swaddling clothes he was wrapped in by his mother. But, one of the most humbling traditions they have that we will do for the first time in our home this year is an extra place setting at the Christmas dinner table. The extra plate is for Jesus. For some homes, it is also for an stranger that may appear at the door of the family on Christmas Day who is hungry or in need because Christmas is a day to include everyone and to show the love of Christ to everyone. But, more importantly, they make large efforts to ensure Jesus is included in the meal. After all, it makes sense to me since it’s his birthday. Imagine people holding a large feast in honor of your birthday and not inviting you. I think, sadly, many of our homes can use a lesson the extra place setting teaches us. Most of us have become consumed with baking, cooking, wrapping, and planning that Jesus is just left out.
Isn’t that always the case? We set out to teach someone something or do something nice for someone only to find that we are the ones receiving the lesson. Perhaps we need to pray and ask God to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see Jesus, and open our lives to others this Christmas season.
About the Author
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
Amelia is a public relations writer for the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in Fayette County, Tennessee. She also serves as the parish photographer at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church. She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
