Advent / hubbub

With all the shopping and Black Friday ( I tried three times to not have that capitalized), and all that, you wonder what Jesus would say.  The gaudy decorations multiplying every year, the arguing over the greetings, the meaning of it all--he would say something.  Would it be like the clearing of the temple?  "This is supposed to be about my coming but is anyone praying?"

Here is an interesting take on the matter.  What does it mean to have festivities?
http://www.reliefjournal.com/2014/12/09/festival/#more-5834

The thing is that Christmas has been high-jacked.  It is no longer a feast day on the church calendar, it is one of the successive occasions for which one has to decorate one's yard and house--competitively--shop, spend money, keep the economy going.  Of course, it's all for fun and the good of the family.  But something calls for a right measure, a right way, as something feels wrong about our compulsive and compulsory excesses which occlude get rather than underline meaning.

One thing is needful, Jesus said to Martha and Mary.