I suppose it is somewhat appropriate to begin a new blog on the cusp of a new year, and more importantly on the eve of the day that celebrates the birth of the Savior of the world; the One who gave humanity a "new start". With that in mind, I find I am asking myself, "what the hell happened to Christmas?". I don't know about anyone else, but when I was growing up, and really even into my early twenties, Christmas was a joyful time of year; something one could look forward to. It was a cause for celebration, a time of year that filled you with a kind of warmth, and more importantly, charity. As strange as it sounds, looking back, it was almost as if the moment the month of December dawned, one could sense a change in people in general. It seemed as if everyone softened, just a little bit, for a time, and the phrase "peace on earth, and good will toward men" actually seemed to be within reach. Sure, some of the usual tediums of life were still present, and things like Christmas shopping were still hectic. But people still took time, however short-lived, to think of others instead of themselves. Kindness, it seems, almost became visible, as if it were a tangible object like so many presents under the tree.
Today I look around and I see barely a flicker of such good and glad tidings. And I wonder what happened.
In 2010, the spirit of Christmas, the "peace on earth and good will toward men" has been replaced with "me first; get out of my way; too bad, it's the last one and it's mine; the hell with church, I'm sleeping in; I don't care what your looking for, my store closes in five minutes; why do I have to cook for these people; if this old woman bumps me with her cart ONE more time..."
I could go on and on.
People are absolutely obsessed with Black Friday/holiday sales, what to buy others (often done with the same resignation shown when filing income taxes), where & when the best place to get drunk is, etc.
Compounding such self-absorption is the attempted hijacking and secularization of the holiday itself. Suddenly it's offensive to wish someone a Merry Christmas. Emphasis is placed almost entirely on material possessions. Just the other day, Yahoo News reported on the banning of a public Christmas tree in a Nazareth suburb (yes, the boy Jesus' old 'hood). Santa Claus is the new and sole face of Christmas, and ironically most people have no idea who Nicholas of Myra actually is.
And yet, I think I could handle those sorts of things if I could still look around and see the majority of people who claim to celebrate Christmas, actually celebrating Christmas.
What do I mean by that? I mean celebrating Christ-Mas; the Mass of Christ. This holiday (or HOLY-day) is not for us. It's for HIM; it's to honor Him, and to show our gratitude for His coming. Additionally, it's not supposed to be just one day; it's a whole season. If that's not your focus this time of year, then frankly you probably ought not to bother even celebrating. And more than that, speaking of honoring Him how about we try reviving the "good will toward men"? For instance, is it really that big of a deal if someone cut you off in traffic on your way to the mall? Must you curse them? Won't you still arrive at your destination? Or perhaps instead of obsessing over the stuff people are going to get us, or that we supposedly "have" to get them, we try helping out the poor guy who has to sleep on the pavement in single-digit temperatures? Maybe bring him a blanket, or a hot cup of coffee? (and I don't buy the old, callous excuse: even if they are a drunk or a drug-addict that doesn't make it any warmer outside) Maybe instead of letting the snotty and selfish customer we're waiting on ruin our Christmas Eve, we exercise a little patience, charity, and most importantly, humility in helping them find what they're looking for. You'd be amazed at how quickly such a sour soul brightens up. And then send them on their way with a "Merry Christmas".
My favorite of course is those who bemoan how this time of year brings out the "dumb and mean" in people. Such individuals are indeed the critics, and not the "men in the arena", to paraphrase Roosevelt. Nor do they seem to recognize that they reflect such sentiments right back at others, instead of trying to counteract it; they simply let it infect them as well. It's almost a geometric progression, and before long, the true Christmas spirit has all but died in the hearts of men. Sometimes I even have to struggle myself against its prevalence, to hold onto the joy of this time of year. But I refuse to be dragged down by all the negativity and insensitivity. My Lord and King has come. The promise has been kept as God has willed it. With such a prospect in mind, how can one possibly be miserable and unkind? How has it come to such a paradox, that the one time of the year that people should be the happiest and most at peace in their hearts is the time of year that seems to bring out the worst in people? Perhaps we should try letting that joy (if indeed we have it) show through in our person. And no, being nice to people you secretly hate or can't stand doesn't count; if you hate, then what is the point? Do you really suppose that God looks favorably upon such deeds? It should be genuine. Maybe I'm wrong, but I could've sworn that/that was the whole point.
"No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it [under a bushel basket], but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light." (Lk 11:33 NAB)
Today I look around and I see barely a flicker of such good and glad tidings. And I wonder what happened.
In 2010, the spirit of Christmas, the "peace on earth and good will toward men" has been replaced with "me first; get out of my way; too bad, it's the last one and it's mine; the hell with church, I'm sleeping in; I don't care what your looking for, my store closes in five minutes; why do I have to cook for these people; if this old woman bumps me with her cart ONE more time..."
I could go on and on.
People are absolutely obsessed with Black Friday/holiday sales, what to buy others (often done with the same resignation shown when filing income taxes), where & when the best place to get drunk is, etc.
Compounding such self-absorption is the attempted hijacking and secularization of the holiday itself. Suddenly it's offensive to wish someone a Merry Christmas. Emphasis is placed almost entirely on material possessions. Just the other day, Yahoo News reported on the banning of a public Christmas tree in a Nazareth suburb (yes, the boy Jesus' old 'hood). Santa Claus is the new and sole face of Christmas, and ironically most people have no idea who Nicholas of Myra actually is.
And yet, I think I could handle those sorts of things if I could still look around and see the majority of people who claim to celebrate Christmas, actually celebrating Christmas.
What do I mean by that? I mean celebrating Christ-Mas; the Mass of Christ. This holiday (or HOLY-day) is not for us. It's for HIM; it's to honor Him, and to show our gratitude for His coming. Additionally, it's not supposed to be just one day; it's a whole season. If that's not your focus this time of year, then frankly you probably ought not to bother even celebrating. And more than that, speaking of honoring Him how about we try reviving the "good will toward men"? For instance, is it really that big of a deal if someone cut you off in traffic on your way to the mall? Must you curse them? Won't you still arrive at your destination? Or perhaps instead of obsessing over the stuff people are going to get us, or that we supposedly "have" to get them, we try helping out the poor guy who has to sleep on the pavement in single-digit temperatures? Maybe bring him a blanket, or a hot cup of coffee? (and I don't buy the old, callous excuse: even if they are a drunk or a drug-addict that doesn't make it any warmer outside) Maybe instead of letting the snotty and selfish customer we're waiting on ruin our Christmas Eve, we exercise a little patience, charity, and most importantly, humility in helping them find what they're looking for. You'd be amazed at how quickly such a sour soul brightens up. And then send them on their way with a "Merry Christmas".
My favorite of course is those who bemoan how this time of year brings out the "dumb and mean" in people. Such individuals are indeed the critics, and not the "men in the arena", to paraphrase Roosevelt. Nor do they seem to recognize that they reflect such sentiments right back at others, instead of trying to counteract it; they simply let it infect them as well. It's almost a geometric progression, and before long, the true Christmas spirit has all but died in the hearts of men. Sometimes I even have to struggle myself against its prevalence, to hold onto the joy of this time of year. But I refuse to be dragged down by all the negativity and insensitivity. My Lord and King has come. The promise has been kept as God has willed it. With such a prospect in mind, how can one possibly be miserable and unkind? How has it come to such a paradox, that the one time of the year that people should be the happiest and most at peace in their hearts is the time of year that seems to bring out the worst in people? Perhaps we should try letting that joy (if indeed we have it) show through in our person. And no, being nice to people you secretly hate or can't stand doesn't count; if you hate, then what is the point? Do you really suppose that God looks favorably upon such deeds? It should be genuine. Maybe I'm wrong, but I could've sworn that/that was the whole point.
"No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it [under a bushel basket], but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light." (Lk 11:33 NAB)
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