Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian world and as such it has embedded in it interesting cultural tradition. Although there are archetypical elements that bind believers together, there are some delightful differences. The differences are often linked to regional or national myths.
Few North Americans would celebrate Christmas by taking a chicken to church. That would seem to be very odd. Not so in the South American country of Bolivia. Bolivians celebrate Misa del Gallo or “Mass of the Rooster” on Christmas Eve. Some people bring roosters to the midnight mass, a gesture that symbolizes the belief that a rooster was the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus. This myth and its associated practice may have roots in science. A recent Scientific American blog article by Krystal D’Costa titled, What Time Does the Cock Crow, is revealing.
Endogenous cycles in chickens can reset in response to incremental changes in light intensity. Gambian hens, for example, shift their roosting times in accordance with the seasons: since the days are relatively the same length, the chickens appear to negotiate roosting in relation to shifting light intensity. Chickens, then, are able to anticipate light cycles. Research done in North-Central India, where the sun only becomes visible after it has risen higher than surrounding mountains, documents the onset of crowing approximately two to three hours before sunrise with initial intervals of about 30 minutes that decrease to about seven minutes at the time of sunrise—even though the sun is not actually visible at the moment of sunrise.
The above research has shown that the chickens crow before the dawn breaks, before the light is visible. In this we can see an illustration of the Prophetic Principle in action. The prophetic principle, as know to metaphysicians, states that, the perception of a thing, the clear mental image of that thing, precedes the manifestation of that thing. In this case the cock crows because the cock knows before the light shows.
Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ are often referred to as the “Coming of the Light”. The Hebrew Scriptures prophetically state, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned”. Such was the perception of the light that preceded the birth of the Eternal Christ Light. This Eternal Light is still being born in the hearts of individuals of all faiths and traditions. This Eternal Light, know by many names, dawns on the open minds of receptive individuals seeking a way out of the darkness of pain and suffering, out of the land poverty and ill-health, out of bondage of any kind.
There is encouragement here for individuals who suffer. There is help in every time of need. Individuals who apply the Prophetic Principle to their specific circumstance find relief. When individuals become open and receptive to the Eternal Light of Truth the darkness disappears. The Eternal Light as expressed as and through the consciousness of Jesus the Christ proclaims, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." This then is the greatest gift of Christmas; it is the gift of Light. This light is the light of knowledge, a light that knows wholeness and perfection in the face of illness, knows wealth and security in the face of poverty, knows and shows the way out of the darkness of pain and suffering, and the freedom from bondage in any form. When the individual understands and actualizes the Prophetic Principle light dawns on the mind, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. The greater your perception of the intensity of the Eternal Light, the faster and more completely your desired good is made manifest. Now that’s something to crow about.
Finally, I wish you a Light filled Christmas. My prayer for you is this, “The Light of Lights Streams on your Pathway, Revealing the Open Road of Fulfillment.
Merry Christmas,
Ric Schumacher
P.S. Some people will be brave enough to put into practice the Prophetic Principle and they will be successful. Some people will not try it. Don’t bring a chicken to church but don’t be a chicken in church either. Practice the Prophetic Principle and expect the Light of Lights to fulfill your Christmas dreams and wishes.
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