Even as a priest, I almost lost my Christmas Spirit.
Somewhere among all the Holiday Parties, TV commercials and my interactions with others, preparing for “the Season,” I just couldn’t take it.
You see – as you know: in our politically correct world, you can’t talk about Christ in the workplace, or at school. And, this conditions us to remove Christ from all public conversation. I mean, even Christian clergy give “ecumenical prayers,” which don’t appeal to the love and mercy of God through Jesus Christ.
We don’t want to offend anyone.
Christmas Greetings Must “Respect the Beliefs” of Others
And so, “Merry Christmas” has become as innocuous – as vanilla – as “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays.” We’ll say “Merry Christmas” because it’s safe. I mean, after all, the holiday we’re to be happy about is called Christmas. So, we can’t get in trouble with the workplace/schoolyard authorities. We won’t offend the atheistic interest groups who want you to celebrate their unbelief.
“Merry Christmas” is safe. It allows us to toe the line: to fool ourselves into thinking we’ve found a way to be in Christ without offending the world.
We’ll say “Merry Christmas,” but will we wish the blessing of the Incarnate Lord? Will we pray the True Light shines in the lives of others – whether or not they want it?
Not everyone will accept that Light. Some will reject it. That’s their choice. Our choice and our joy is to share the gift of the True Light, Who has come into the world – for the life of the (whole) world.
Oh, what a joy!
To know that “unto us a Child is born, and a Son is given.” How can that joy be contained? How can any of us really be filled with that joy and then confine it to those private and safe moments of life?
Christmas Joy is Buried to Appease the Dead
Everywhere is death. Turn on the news: death. Watch your favorite television shows: death. Go out in the streets: death. Death suffocates us. And, we just want to play nice – hoping that death might leave us alone.
Rather than confronting the dead with the living God, in the hope they too might live, we bury our joy at the Incarnation of God. We make nice with a dead Society and dead people…appealing to the dead to comfort and bring peace to the living.
This time, let Christmas be different!
I pray this message emboldens you to rejoice, at all times and in all places:
