más Christ?

19Dec08

What is Christmas. Macy’s would have us believe it’s all about the Christmas presents. Pine trees adorned with colorful glass balls. The big fat dude with the big white beard ridiculously dressed in red and white, somehow lifted in the air by eight reindeer? The quintessence of Christmas indeed.

This annual ritual is honored, for the most part, worldwide. Yet the myth of Santa Claus, whether or not you saw Mommy kissing him last night, is, as most of us know past elementary school, simply fabricated to bribe children into being good throughout the year.

I never cared for this annual gift-giving ritual; I’ve always ignored the other, more personal one (birthdays) anyways. I understand that presents are often considered markers of compassion, that they embody a lot more than is represented by the price tag.

Yet as we go through the walks of life, the more people we are acquainted with, the more days of the year birthdays as a group occupy. It grows to become such a Herculean labor: religiously trudging onto Facebook walls to leave some words of wishes, and to think that someone would regard the Catholic tradition of exchanging a greeting of peace (after the Lord’s Prayer) as strange. The Mad Hatter’s un-birthday party seems quite sensible in comparison with our birthday rituals.

By this point most people will reject the allegation that they ever subscribed to a consumerist view of the holiday. A common defense will be one based on family reunion, but why do it only once a year if that is what matters?

The truth is: Christmas is a religious holiday. Everyone knows that – half of the carols are about Christ and his birth. But the secular arm of society had to go make up songs about winter, snow, reindeer, snowman, bells and ascribe to it a vernacular aspect. They even succeeded in rebranding it as X’mas (or .mas).

Christmas is someone’s birthday – Jesus – and it’s His party. But He’s not demanding any gifts. He is God’s gift to us; He died for us and granted us the biggest present of all – forgiveness. Our sins are forgiven, regardless. His grace extends from when He was born until and beyond when He returns. Christmas is the occasion to refresh our understanding of that. We commemorate Him: His birthday, His sacrifice, His grace. We reaffirm our faith; we restate our need for the Spirit.

Christmas is the season to be jolly, yes, because we celebrate Christ’s birth. But no matter when we ask Him, “please Sir, can I have some more?” the reply will forever and always be, “Yes, certainly. Help yourself!”

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Tags: christmas, religion