Referring to the meaning of Christmas, Mary Baker Eddy writes: "An eternal Christmas would make matter an alien save as phenomenon, and matter would reverentially withdraw itself before Mind. The despotism of material sense or the flesh would flee before such reality, to make room for substance, and the shadow of frivolity and the inaccuracy of material sense would disappear" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 260).
One December I felt "the despotism of material sense" in a very insistent form. I was forced to completely put aside, for once, all inclination and action connected with preparations for Christmas in the usual sense, in order to be able to align myself completely with the things of Spirit.
During a visit from relatives I had a severe toothache. Since it was not possible for me to withdraw to pray for myself during this visit, I called a Christian Science practitioner and told him of the condition and requested prayerful treatment. I was very grateful that there was definite improvement immediately. After our visitors had left, I felt that my tooth difficulty had been solved, and I gratefully informed the practitioner.
