Day 8
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .
Eight maids-a-milking.
Today we begin the celebration phase of the song; we have had the perfect number of birds. Now, we have a festive gathering. Let the celebration begin!
We start with food. Have you ever milked a cow? The closest I ever came was visiting a dairy farm as a child. I remember looking at cows and the distinct, unpleasant smell. Moreover, I remember the end of these trips which always resulted in great ice cream. From milk comes a lot of great party food, including nacho cheese.
The eight things that this verse can help us to recall as Catholics are the Beatitudes. Jesus gives his famous Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew (one of four colly birds), chapter 5. He begins each Beatitude with “Blessed are…” These statements are both comforting and challenging. We are reminded not only how to live, but that living for Christ will reap its own benefits—not all of this world. You can find another version of the Beatitudes in Luke 6; here Jesus gives us the Sermon on the Plain.
Grab a glass of milk, read through the eight beatitudes, and seeing where the Spirit is particularly challenging you.
