Today’s homily explores the 8-day period following Christmas that the Church calls the “Octave of Christmas.” Christmas is much too big of a celebration to fit into just one day, so we stretch it out over eight. However, the octave of Christmas is filled with more than just shepherds and angels. Many of the days a filled with bloodshed and martyrdom. This is no accident. Understanding the celebrations in the Octave of Christmas can do a lot to help us understand what Christmas is really all about.