Christmas miracle

Guest Columnist

Father Michael Bergeron

Every year, many Christians feel insulted because they hear the words “Happy Holidays.” What most people don’t realize is there are approximately 29 holidays observed by seven religions (not to mention at least nine other celebrations of non-religious nature) from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15. And “Happy Holidays” simply reflects the increase of religious diversity in our country.

Besides Christmas which is celebrated by Christians around the world, this time period includes: Hanukkah celebrated by Jews, Kwanzaa by African-Americans, Winter Solstice by Native Americans, Yule by Wiccans, the birth of Mohammad by Muslims, Bodhi by Buddhists, Omisoka by the Japanese, Shabe-Yalda by interfaith Iranians, Dhanu Yatra by Hindus, Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, Koročun among the Slavs, or Ziemassvētki by the Orthodox churches, to name but a few.

Saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” is not political correctness gone mad, it is simply an acknowledgment of all people, who are celebrating over 38 different festivals during this time.

Nobody said you can’t say Merry Christmas or call it a Christmas tree or celebrate the way you want to. The real “war on Christmas” is not being conducted by other faiths; it is being conducted by companies and people who worship money. So let’s talk about Christmas and how to put Christ back into our “holiday.”

The Advent Season prepares us for Christmas, but unfortunately Christmas arrives in our stores in August, long before Advent. And it stirs in us an enthusiasm for giving and getting, and feasting and fun. So for many, this biggest spending season has no more religious significance than the celebrations of the pagan Romans.

Every year, we hear the slogan “Put Christ back in Christmas” and it actually stems from the outrage of seeing the word “X-mas.” That abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ’s name, “X” in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word, especially since most people could not read or write. Although the early Christians understood that “X” stood for Christ’s name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook “X-mas” as a sign of disrespect. But the Christians were using it in the highest respect, even making an “X” on their graves to tell generations to come that they were Christians. So Christ is still in X-mas.

Fussing about semantics is so much easier than actually doing something constructive. We need to restore the word “holiday” to its original meaning of “holy day.” The Christmas holidays should be the holiest days of the year.

The simplest way to bring Christ back into Christmas is to embrace the Beatitudes and the teachings of Christ. Simply put, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the stranger and unwanted child, care for the ill, love your enemies. The greatest gift at Christmas is not found in the shops or under the Christmas tree. It is found in the hearts and actions of Christians.

Christ is not in Christmas when we have holiday gatherings that exclude family members that we are angry with or whose lifestyle we do not approve. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Christ is not in Christmas when there is bickering, threats to children (“Eat everything on your plate or Santa won’t bring you anything), record keeping on gift giving and gift receiving, or unexpected demands on others that the celebration be a

Make your own Christmas miracle It's easier than you think

“perfect.” Jesus didn’t say that the world would know us as his disciples by our contentiousness, but by our love for one another.

A television interviewer was walking the streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Strangely enough, much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan – even though the Christian community in Japan is very, very tiny. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk and asked, “What is the meaning of Christmas?”

Laughing, she responded, “I don’t know. Isn’t that the day that Jesus died?”

Commenting on this woman’s reply, the interviewer says, “There was some truth in her answer.”

We can put Christ back in Christmas by recognizing that our fellow humans are just as much beloved children of God as we are regardless of their religion. We can recognize that Christ loved those who were considered unlovable, served those who were considered unfit to be served, took on the unwanted task of washing the disciples’ feet, and bore the punishment that we inflicted on him. We cannot call ourselves Christian without demonstrating God’s love for people through service and social justice. We put Christ back into Christmas by abandoning our perceived and petty outrages and focus on actual instances of true persecution. We put Christ back into Christmas by not linking monetary success to God’s blessing and remembering that in God’s economy the needy are always provided for.

So what are some practical, concrete ways to put Christ back into Christmas? Share your holiday festivities with those who may have been forgotten, rejected by their families, live alone or cannot afford to celebrate. Carry some small bills, loose change, or coupon books to hand out to those who are poor. Never waste food; bring leftovers to others who are living on a budget. You can bring extra desserts to the emergency waiting room at the hospital, or the staff at local nursing homes. But remember to maintain the sense of dignity in others and never make someone feel like a “charity case.”

Avoid certain financial stresses if you can help it. Don’t go overboard with gifts. Make things like bread, candy or gift baskets. Do not buy violent toys for your children, particularly violent video games. Bring small gifts or stuffed animals to be given to children brought to emergency rooms or urgent care centers.

Perhaps there are elderly people in your neighborhood who have been neglected by their adult children, or maybe there is a young couple struggling through school who can’t make it back home for the holiday. Inviting them to share in your family’s joy will make Christmas memorable for everyone.

Every church and many shopping centers have trees adored with tags for gifts for children whose families cannot afford to buy them gifts. Many programs ask the child what they want.

Don’t become indignant when it says a bicycle or a computer. They asked the “child” and the child is simply sharing his or her dream. Do the best you can. But take a tag or two.

Bring your pets inside where it is warm. Animals kept Jesus warm; can we not do the same for them? Visit friends, family and even strangers who are in hospitals or nursing homes. Christmas can be a sad time of the year when family and friends do not visit the elderly. Make a donation of a frozen turkey to the food bank (or fresh fruits and desserts, if you are a vegetarian who objects to killing animals.) Other foods are nice, but these things are rare at the food bank. Not incidentally, by the way, Jesus also instructed us to pay our taxes (Matthew 22:21).

I encourage you to be more loving and to forgive others and be reconciled. Christmas is about love and reconciliation; go and be more loving. Christmas is about peace and goodwill. We talk about putting Christ back into Christmas but we need to ensure that we keep Christ in Christian. It is not “Christian” unless it includes Christ. It is not Christian if it only deals with concepts or principles. It must include the person.

Attending Mass should be our primary concern. But attending Mass on Christmas without receiving the Eucharist (without receiving Christ into our souls) is like going to the best restaurant in town on Christmas and munching on a toothpick while watching others enjoy a hearty meal. All Catholics should do whatever is necessary for them to prepare for Christmas and to receive the Eucharist on Christmas day. That will “literally” put Christ into your Christmas.

Many people are surprised to learn that the Twelve Days of Christmas are the 12 days after Christmas, not the 12 days before. It is the coming of Epiphany when the Magi arrive. In many countries, it is called “Little Christmas” and that is the day the gifts are given. So it is really distressing to drive around on Christmas day at one o’clock in the afternoon and see Christmas trees in the trash. We can keep Christ in Christmas by leaving our decorations up just a little longer.

Think about all of your Christmases past. What memories do you cherish the most? The love, the kindness, the thoughtfulness, the togetherness, or was it the kind of gifts you received? Do you even remember what gifts you received?

It might sound old fashioned, but I believe that our loved ones would be most happy with a gift of ourselves, which requires that we value them and that our values are rooted in our relationships and grounded in faithfulness and loyalty. Keeping Christ in Christmas is found in the hearts and actions of Christians.

And if truth be told, you do not have to put Christ back into Christmas, he is already there. He is there with the lonely, the depressed, the joyful and the confused. He is there with the widow and the orphan, with you, with me and with the atheist. As people of faith it is in these places, fueled by grace, love and hospitality, we can, not bring Christ back to Christmas, but join with him in the work he is already doing, and sometimes work he is already doing in spite of the best intentions of his people.

We just love to watch those sweet little movies on Hallmark Channel about the true meaning of Christmas – the Christmas miracles that warm our heart. But we forget that we can make our own little movie. And we can make our own little Christmas miracle. It’s easier than you think. Do it this year. Don’t let Christmas be what the Japanese lady thought: The time Jesus died. (Father Michael Bergeron is a retired priest of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux.) BC