The Feast of the Circumcision

In the past few days there have been newspaper articles reporting circumcision as providing protection from HIV especially for higher risk men. When I was growing up, January 1 was the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus in the Catholic liturgical calendar. It has since disappeared. When I was born, my father was in Guam with the navy and my parents did not have a chance to discuss circumcision which had been in and out of favor somewhat like breastfeeding. When I was seven, my parents decided it would be a good idea even though I was not having any medical problems suggesting it would be a good idea. That was in the days when most surgery involved a hospital stay. The surgery itself was not as traumatic as everyone at the hospital knowing why I was there and having to explain at school why I was absent for a few days. I was always uncomfortable with the Feast of the Circumcision. That particular episode was always a source of shame for me. This is the first time I have written about it. It's good not to have this secret anymore.