The (Stubborn Thing) Christmas Tree that Wouldn't

The days of January began to blend into the days of February.
Even Punxsutawney Phil was ready to put in his annual appearance to let us know how much more of winter we might have to endure.
But through all this progression of time that Christmas Tree continued to stand its ground!
No longer festive with ornaments and lights, that stubborn, old tree remained in place - up front, in church, behind the altar and visible to all.
It stood there.
And grew weaker as each day passed.
It could no longer continue to hold onto its needles.
Little by little they dried and fell.
Vacuuming underneath that stubborn old tree became a daily necessity.
Needless to say, those responsible for keeping the church clean were not too happy about that stubborn tree that would not go away.
Members of the Assembly who gathered for prayer and worship could not help but wonder about that stubborn tree that would not go away. It may have even evoked a distraction or two (or three!)
"You want us to take it down, Father?"
That question emerged from many a quarter.
It began to seem as if more and more members of the congregation were all too eager to lend a hand and get rid of that tree.
Finally, it happened.
One fine day there was a funeral.
And, of course, funeral Masses were most often followed by a trip to the cemetery.
And on returning from just such a trip, I entered the church to put some things away and I noticed.
The tree was gone!
Someone had actually stepped up and utilized that window of opportunity to rid us of the tree that, at least until then, would just not go away.
But now the tree was gone!
Although it had not gone all that far away.
It rested for the moment in the dumpster.
And that meant it was still salvageable!
And so in no time at all the tree was back!
And those who had orchestrated its departure were left to scratching their heads in wonderment.
What was it about this tree?
Why the stubbornness?
And truth be told, it wasn't the tree being stubborn. Trees don't have that ability.
People do.
And I do!
And I was being the stubborn one.
I was not letting that tree disappear.
Even as it shed its needles and grew ever more brittle and dry, that tree was staying.
And making people uncomfortable - very uncomfortable.
It wasn't going away anytime soon.
It would stay and make folk uncomfortable.
And it would do so because that was the whole idea behind the Christmas Tree that Wouldn't!


Clearly, more is coming . . . 

Meantime - stay safe; stay home!