When I was a senior in high school, I remember being asked by a Mormon friend about the roots of the word “Christmas.” He asked me if it was a Catholic word that means “Christ Mass.” He was actually right. The word “Christmas” that we use to describe the mystery of this season is indeed a Catholic word with Catholic roots. When you attend Mass on Christmas Eve, Midnight, or Christmas Day, you are worshipping God in “Christ’s Mass.” Of course, every Mass is a “Christ Mass” where Jesus is physically and spiritually present. However, the sacred liturgy mystically transports us through the Mass to His nativity in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
The word “Christmas” is not joyful to everyone, though. In an excessively politically correct society, “Christmas” can be a bad word — so much so that businesses, department stores, and other advertisements avoid using it. Instead, they say “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” to avoid offending atheists, and yet these companies earn a major profit from an essentially Christian holiday. I was watching an atheist leader on TV the other day who said that he was tired of being forced to swallow Christian religion during December. He also said that there are many so-called Christians who are really atheists inside and are forced to go to church on Christmas. Hopefully none of you are forced to go to Mass! (Except little brats, grumpy teenagers, and Protestant husbands – they need to be forced to go to Mass ;-). Hopefully we all participate in Mass this time of year to rejoice that we have a Savior who became one of us.
So, what does Christmas – the Nativity of Our Lord – have to do with us today? As 2013 comes to a close and we look forward to 2014, we are mindful that the world is getting more hostile towards Christ because the world is getting more hostile towards Christians. It is not the first time and it is not the last time that this will happen. We are reminded by the gospel that even Joseph and Mary were not welcomed in Bethlehem. Like St. Joseph and Our Lady, we are called to bring Christ into the world, but we will not always be greeted warmly. Many doors were shut in their faces, but God’s will is never prevented by human cruelty. Even though a manger with animals is a pretty lame place to have a baby, God was not above being born there. And when we have to accept sacrifices to live our Catholic faith, we will never be without the love and support of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
This Christmas, we have the opportunity to think about if we are shutting the door of our hearts to Christ. If I have been away from the Church, have I closed the door to come back? If I practice my Catholic faith, am I content with my sins or am I trying with God’s grace to overcome them? If I am a non-Catholic, have I considered joining Catholic Church? Wherever we are in “holding the door open” of our hearts, we ask that the Child Jesus help us to welcome Him inside. Come let us adore Him.
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