Contemplative Christmas

Monday, December 30

The Fifth Day

Reading:

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” [1]

Reflection:

On the fifth day of creation, as recorded in Genesis, God called for the creation of “swarms of living creatures” in the waters, as well as “every winged bird of every kind.” In other words, on the fifth day, God filled the seas and the skies with animal life.

            In the Christmas song, the gift of the fifth day is five golden rings. Some say the five rings represent the first five books of the Bible – the Torah or Pentateuch – which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The five wounds of Jesus on the cross, the five letters in his name, and the five human senses are also manifestations of the number five, as are the five virtues of knighthood (generosity, friendship, chastity, chivalry, and piety).

            The number five is sometimes used to represent a human being, imaged as the 5-pointed star that can be traced around the top of one’s head, outstretched arms, and legs spread wide apart. Five is associated with the powers of mediation and joining together, since human beings are sometimes imagined as the mediators and uniters between the non-human forms of earthly life and the spiritual realm. In addition, the ancient science of Numerology suggests that the number five symbolizes the concepts of freedom, curiosity, transformation, and evolution, all shared attributes of humankind.

            What does the seemingly random accumulation of associations with particular numbers mean in practical terms? That is a difficult question to answer given that we live in an age of reason and literalism. The symbolic meanings of numbers, as with the associations to the gifts in the Christmas song, were formed long ago          and are rooted in the collective unconscious, which does not make them less real, only less obvious. I will reflect more on this in the coming days.

Closing Meditation:

Sit quietly and reflect on your experience of these post-Christmas days.

Journal the thoughts and feelings that arise.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2025, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Genesis 1:20