Day 13 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 13

Reilly shook one more knob on Lime Street and turned onto King’s Ave. Everything quiet so far. A couple of revelers had wished him a Merry Christmas about an hour ago, but since then all was silent night. On the corner, Saint Anthony’s loomed against the sky. The moon just peeked over the steeple. Father Brown kept the side door open on these cold nights. Reilly slipped in to take the chill off his bones and took a seat close to the altar. Votary candles flickered by the creche in the corner. Saint Anthony’s had a tradition of adding figures to the scene a few at a time. Reilly had watched each week as shepherds joined the cattle and sheep, the Wise Men slid in behind the stable, and Joseph and Mary settled by the manger. The manger was empty, waiting for the baby who would be placed reverently into it on Christmas Eve. 

In his youth, Reilly had sung in the choir, alongside his brother Fred who had a fine tenor voice. Their mother had passed when they were young but Pa had been sure that they attended Mass every Sunday. Their oldest brother, Bob, had been an altar boy. Reilly had envied him as he swung the incense thurible and rang the bells at Mass. At Christmas, the echoes of angels announcing good news of great joy rang through the church as Reilly and Fred added their Hallelujahs. 

Pa and Bob were gone now, but Fred was a good uncle to his girls. He would be joining them on Christmas afternoon. Jenny and the girls were as excited as he was about Uncle Fred’s visit. Jenny was a fine hand at the piano so Hallelujahs would ring once more with the angelic voices of his girls trilling along.

Stamping his feet and dragging on his gloves, Reilly took one more glance at the creche shimmering in the light of the candles and headed out into the night. So far, all was calm, all was bright, and Reilly wanted to make sure it stayed that way. 

Hallelujah! Revelation 19:6-7a Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! (NIV)

Challenge: We all love the Hallelujahs we sing at Christmas. We add our voices to those of the angels announcing good news of great joy. Rejoice with the angels today. Be glad and give Jesus the glory. Join the multitude praising God so that our voices sound like the roar of rushing waters and loud peals of thunder! Sing a favorite holiday song today — loud and with joy!

Day 12 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 12

It had been a busy few weeks since the time Barnaby cleaned out the brownstone where the little family lived. Pickings were slim in all but the best neighborhoods. The precinct had put on a few extra cops to patrol the bulging stores in the downtown area. Uptown, private guards walked back and forth in the best neighborhoods. Barnaby climbed fire escape stairs and skimmed across the roofs of the old town. Slipping into dark apartments, he filled his bag and returned to the roof descending blocks from his mark. 

Barnaby had a system for converting his pickings from identifiable booty to hard cash. Putting on a cheap suit and carrying a valise marked “Chambers Cast Iron Pots,” he traveled to distant towns on the morning trains to fence his goods far from the city. Returning with cash, he’d pay off the bills he had run up between jobs — Barnaby had good credit with all the best vendors — and stash the rest under a loose board in his apartment. Once he had enough, he’d bet on the ponies at the local track. After scouring the racing sheets, Barnaby placed conservative bets on the favorites and slowly built up his fortune. 

The week before Christmas, Barnaby had enough for a small vacation. He’d always fancied a trip south during the cold months. Maybe Miami or New Orleans or someplace more exotic like Havana. He visited the library looking for likely spots taking home a few books to peruse before bedtime. He never bothered with a library card. After a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, Barnaby settled into his bed dreaming of palm trees and warm breezes. 

Barnaby woke with a shiver. He pushed off the covers and padded over to the table. A litter of coins decorated the table along with a pitcher of water standing in a porcelain bowl. He splashed water over his face and dried it with a fluffy white towel. He’d had that dream again: the woman in the blue dress, the cold kiddies, and a bare manger. It had haunted him for weeks. 

Shaking his head to clear it, Barnaby gazed around his room for a minute, dressed, scooped some coins from the table, and headed out the door carrying his canvas sacks.

Dream a Little Dream: Matthew 1:20-24  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (NIV)

Challenge: Dreams figure large in scripture. Joseph and Daniel interpret dreams for kings in the Old Testament changing the course of their history. Joseph, betrothed to an obviously pregnant Mary, plans to quietly divorce her, when an angel comes to him in a dream convincing him that all is as God has planned. Joseph followed the angel’s command and Jesus changed the course of our history.  What dreams are haunting you? Which come from God? Consider your dreams, waking or sleeping, in the light of God’s commands. Where are they leading you?

Day 11 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 11

In the following days, Barnaby followed the little family back and forth to school and church. Mama cleaned the church and swept the steps while the boys were in school then they all trooped home where the boys swept the steps of the brownstone while Mama prepared dinner. Sometimes, they stopped to pick up a few groceries. The boys ogled the candy counter while Mama counted her pennies buying a few vegetables and a drumstick or two. 

Barnaby slipped close to the window a few nights to see the boys working at the scarred table while Mama stirred soup at the stove. A single light lit the table its light falling softly on the chipped Nativity scene. Still no sign of Papa. 

After dinner, Mama bundled everyone into bed. The boys giggled for a few minutes. Baby Girl was asleep before Mama tucked them all in. Barnaby bent so close to the window glass that he almost felt the kisses she left on each forehead before returning to the kitchen to clean up. Often, she dragged a basket of mending close to the light. Always, she stopped to gaze a few minutes at the Nativity, straighten up a sheep or a shepherd, then return to her work until her eyes drooped. When she extinguished the light, Barnaby thought of Mama burrowing into bed with her little ones. 

Barnaby thought of his own bed warmed by an eiderdown quilt. Slipping off into the darkness Barnaby returned to work, shadows of the evening lingering as he swept other apartments clean. 

One of Us: Hebrews 2:11-13 For the one who makes men holy and the men who are made holy share a common humanity. So that he is not ashamed to call them his brothers, for he says: ‘I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you’.

And again, speaking as a man, he says: ‘I will put my trust in him’. And, one more instance, in these words: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me’. (J. B. Phillips)

Challenge: Jesus is with us in our daily tasks —sweeping the floors, preparing dinner, sewing on a button, tucking our children into bed, and kissing them good night. Today, feel Jesus standing with you as you go about your day. Picture him handing you a dish, setting the table, driving to work, opening a door, sharing a laugh, wiping a tear. Share this Jesus with everyone you meet as you remember that we are all part of God’s family. 

Day 10 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 10

A coin dropping into the votary box shook Barnaby out of his memories. The same solemn Jesus hung over the altar here as in his neighborhood church, but over to the side, an empty creche, surrounded by sheep and cattle brightened the altar. Barnaby watched as the mother reentered the church with a mop, a bucket, and rags. The little girl wandered over to the creche dragging her bear behind her. 

“Look but don’t touch,” Mama warned. 

“Where’s the baby?” the little girl asked.

“It’s not time for him yet. His mama and papa are still on their way. The animals are waiting.”

“When will he come?”

“When the time is right on Christmas Eve with his mama and his papa. The animals will be ready and we will be too.”

“I don’t like to wait.” said the little girl. “When is my papa coming?”

“When the time is right,” answered Mama. “Come now, take a rag and help me polish these pews. The church has to be ready for the baby too.” The little girl grabbed a rag and ran it over the front pew as Mama wrung out the mop to clean the stone floor. 

Barnaby slipped out through the big doors. He glanced back at the busy cleaners. Chumps. 

A Good Place to Wait: Lamentations 3:25-26  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (NIV)

Challenge: When you’re little, waiting is really hard. Will Christmas ever come? Many times in our lives, we have to wait: to start school, to find the right job, to meet someone to love, to regain health, to find peace. Jesus waits with us. He knows how hard it is. He never leaves us alone. Do you know any who are having a hard time waiting? Connect with them today. Give them a call. Travel with them. Sit quietly with them. Remind them that Jesus always comes when the time is right.

Day 9 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 9

In the second week of December, Barnaby had noticed the basement family from 106 walking down King’s Ave. It was balmy for the season so Barnaby decided to follow along. Wrapped in shabby coats and with bare heads and hands, the two boys skipped ahead of Mama who pushed the toddler in a rickety pram. The boys turned into the St. Anthony’s School play-yard while Mama parked the carriage in front of the big wooden doors of the church. 

Waving to the boys, Mama picked up her little girl, who clutched her teddy bear, and climbed the steps into the church. Barnaby followed her inside. She was nowhere to be seen. Barnaby slipped into a back pew to rest his feet.

The smell of incense took Barnaby back to his mother’s side. When she was sober, she never missed a Mass. Dragging Barnaby and his siblings into the dark sanctuary, she’d genuflect to the altar and guide them into a pew. Kneeling, she’d descend into prayer, leaving Barnaby to wonder at the golden altar, surrounding angels and saints. 

The Mass was in Latin so Barnaby’s mind had wandered. Sometimes bored and sometimes awed, Barnaby felt the sacredness of the place. While the priest had droned on, Barnaby’s eyes followed the Stations of the Cross pictured around the sanctuary to the crucifix mounted over the altar. Jesus, draped over the cross, was silent.

How could his mother, abandoned by his father, drunk more often than not, have bought into all this drivel? Her prayers were never answered — unless she was praying for drink, a dingy apartment, and bratty kids. The priest never visited. The nuns glared at them. Jesus never spoke. 

Barnaby left the church behind the day he left home.

All Who Come: John 6: 37-40 All that My Father gives to Me comes to Me. I will receive everyone; I will not send away anyone who comes to Me. And here’s the reason: I have come down from heaven not to pursue My own agenda but to do what He desires. I am here on behalf of the Father who sent Me. He sent Me to care for all He has given Me so that nothing and no one will perish. In the end, on the last day, He wants everything to be resurrected into new life. So if you want to know the will of the Father, know this: everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will live eternally; and on the last day, I am the One who will resurrect him. (The Voice)

Challenge: Barnaby feels abandoned by his parents, the church, and the Jesus he doesn’t yet know. Do you know someone who feels abandoned? How are you offering them the love of Jesus? Jesus sends no one away. God welcomes all. Pray for the lonely today. Welcome them into your heart.

Day 8 The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 8

Reilly caught Barnaby at Maggie’s, swilling coffee and digging into a stack of buttery pancakes. He slid into the booth opposite him. 

“Cup of coffee, Reilly?” Barnaby offered. 

“No, thanks, Barnaby. I haven’t seen you around for a few days. Taking a break?” 

“I had some business interests outside of town. A cute filly or two waiting for me at the track. They never let me down.” Barnaby signaled Maggie for the check. Scooping up the last of the syrup flooding his plate, Barnaby dug into his pockets and pulled out two bits. Dropping these on the table, he slid out of the booth, saluted Reilly, and slouched out the door. Reilly gave him two beats then followed. Barnaby walked with the same swagger he’d had as a kid. Still acting the wise guy.

Reilly remembered the ragged shirt and shiny-seated pants Barnaby had sported whenever he had dropped into the youth club many years back.

“How about shooting some hoops?” Reilly called to the kid.

“Nah, the ball’s too shabby. I never shoot with an old ball.” Barnaby had returned.

“We’ve got a new one in the back, I think.” Reilly went to the bin in the office. Empty. 

Running back to the gym, Reilly saw a blank space where Barnaby had been. The shabby ball was spinning in the center of the court. Reilly never saw that new ball again. 

Every few weeks, Barnaby had stopped by sometimes dragging his kid brother along. Reilly always invited him to play. Barnaby always refused, noting the shabbiness of the ball, the cracked floor of the gym, or saying that he had forgotten his court shoes. The other coaches gave him up for a wise guy, but Reilly felt there was something to save in the boy.

As times got harder for Barnaby’s family, the visits to the club had stopped. Now Reilly saw Barnaby in the pokey spending the night in a cell for picking a pocket or two. The judge warned him that one more offense meant reform school. Barnaby had skipped town the next morning.

Reilly wished he’d taken Barnaby up on that coffee. After tailing Barnaby half the day, Reilly returned to the station, cold and hungry, and chalked up the day as lost.

Why Jesus Came: Luke 19:10  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (NIV)

Challenge: Many things get lost in this passage: a ball, a boy, a day. What or who is lost in your life? Jesus came to save the lost. Seek someone who is lost today. Offer Jesus’ salvation with a kind word, an encouraging note, an offer of financial help, or a comforting embrace. Seek and save.

Day 7: The Christmas Thief: An Advent Calendar in Prose

 

The Christmas Thief

An Advent Calendar in Prose

Day 7

Reilly sipped the cold coffee left in the bottom of his cup. December was always a busy month. The holiday season, even in these lean times, was a boon to more than shopkeepers; every pickpocket, mugger, and second-story man counted the shopping days left until Christmas and stocked up for the holiday courtesy of shoppers rushing home with their treasures. The holiday season found Reilly flipping through a case list as thick as plum pudding.

“Will you be home for breakfast?” his wife Jenny asked as she put a plate of chops on the table before he left for his shift.

“Not likely,” Reilly responded. He reached for Jenny’s hand but she was already clearing the girls’ dishes and running water into the sink.

Now at his desk, Reilly thought about his two daughters nestled in their beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. More likely, visions of baby dolls and ruffled frocks. He had gotten them each a ball glove. No reason girls couldn’t throw and catch a ball around the back yard. Jenny sometimes apologized for not giving him a son but he cherished his baby girls, their giggles, and bright eyes. He told Jenny that these girls were more than enough for any man and he considered his little family the best treasure on earth. 

Reilly reached for his crusty mug, thought better of it, set it back on the corner of his desk. It would be a small Christmas this year for his girls. With the entire country suffering from bad times with many out of work and many more hungry, Reilly felt lucky to have a steady paycheck. Even if it meant working these crazy shifts. 

Reilly’s chair squeaked as he swiveled around to reach into his filing cabinet. His old friend Barnaby had been pretty quiet lately. Too quiet. Maybe he’d be trying his St. Nick trick again. Reilly suspected that he’d cleaned up – that is cleaned out a whole brownstone on December 24^th last year – snatching stockings hung by the chimney with care and packages waiting under the tree for the kiddies. He’d eaten the cookies and drunk the milk too. Reilly hadn’t been able to pin anything on him though. No fingerprints, no left-behind tools. Barnaby must have flown up the chimney like the good Saint Nick and absconded in his sleigh. Reilly stretched and slid on his coat. He’d take a walk around the old town himself tonight, look at the lights, shake a few doorknobs, and watch out for any larcenous Santas.

Bright Eyes, Hungry Ears: Proverbs 20:7 God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children. (MSG)

Challenge: Children watch their elders for signs of God’s love. How are your actions teaching children about God’s love? Remember, “More is caught than taught.” Be deliberate in living a “God-loyal” life so that children can rest easy in his love. Treat children as the treasures they are. Send an encouraging note to a child today.