Pastor's Column

December 25, 2008

 

For many Americans, we have entered the "holiday" season," the "sparkle" season or the winter solstice. For them, "Christmas" begins after Halloween and ends  as soon as the presents are opened and dinner is finished!   We seem to be surrounded by "holiday" trees and fewer and fewer Nativity scenes. The canned Christmas music in stores is seldom religious! That's because they are interested only in selling us things. We must make an effort to find the real meaning of these days.

 

For Catholics, the Christmas season begins on Christmas eve and extends all the way to the Baptism of the Lord in January. By that time, the stores already have Valentines' day merchandise out! How can we reclaim this season for ourselves, as it was intended to be?

 

It is not always possible to keep the Christmas tree up through the second week of January, but every Catholic family should have some kind of nativity scene in their home. There is so much wisdom to be found by reflecting on the circumstances of Christ's birth.

 

Christ was born into poverty. These days, many are losing their homes and their jobs. The food banks are overflowing with those needing assistance. Suddenly, the humble circumstances of Christ's birth takes on new meaning for many people. Christ will especially be found among those who are in great need. Why not make a donation of food or money to the local food bank for Christmas, and cut down on expensive trappings at home?

 

The Holy Family had to flee to Egypt.  This meant Joseph was out of a job. He had to provide for his family's needs by accepting the charity of others and looking for work once they arrived in the Jewish community in Egypt. Many of us, too, will be far away from home this Christmas, wherever home may be. Actually, all of us are refugees in the sense that our true home is in heaven. Christ, therefore, teaches us not to become too settled in one place. Unsettling times and moving on are also part of God's plan for us.

 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph didn't have a lot of stuff. How could they, when they had to travel to Bethlehem and then to Egypt? Why not make a sweep of the house, eliminating useless clutter and things that we have not used in awhile, and give the whole lot of it to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society instead of donating only the most unsellable things? We can reclaim the real meaning of Christmas if we really want to!