The Real Meaning of Christmas

Tonight we are celebrating the vigil of the birth of our Savior. In this context I would like to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

Can you imagine a person receiving a precious Christmas gift, which came very beautifully wrapped. He impatiently removed the nice gift-wrap paper and treasured it. While the gift itself he threw into the garbage pile.

That is exactly what some people today, as I have observed, have done to Christmas. They celebrate the season of the year. The traditional Christmas carols that recall the mystery of Christ's birth are now replaced by Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, and Mommy kissing Santa Claus. People put up beautiful and even high tech decorations - Santa Claus on space ship, and fireworks, many of which focused on the season rather than Emmanuel - God with us.

Somehow Christ has been left out of his own birthday party. The greatest event that changed the whole history of mankind is not the reason and concern for the celebration. In many places people celebrate a Christ-less Christmas. Frantic shopping, midnight madness, partying, and tempers rising in the traffic replace the greatest mystery of God's love.

As we journey into another year, let us put Christ back into Christmas. Carols, greeting cards, Christmas trees and gifts are only a few of the many traditions, which come alive with the celebration of Christmas every year. They are all tied together with various meanings and memories from as long as our childhood days. These customs, beautiful as they are, do not touch the very heart of Christmas, but are only extensions of its central meaning.

If we are looking for the real message of this day, we should not search for it in the shopping mall, or TV Christmas specials. We turn to Church to hear why this day has such deep significance, although we have heard the story over and over again.

Perhaps the most significant words from the account of Christ's birth by Luke is the phrase, "Glory to God...Peace on earth."

The message that resounds on the first Christmas eve holds the everlasting key to the attitude we should have toward Jesus. "Glory to God" is a brief but powerful prayer of adoration acknowledging His unequalled dignity. It tells of his infinite power in the face of our weakness, His wisdom in the face of our foolishness.

The Incarnation, the birth of Jesus is the deepest expression of God's love for sinful mankind. Before the coming of Christ, the world was in a grip of sin and Satan's power. Humanity was incapable of saving itself. By becoming one of us, and dying for us, Christ broke the power of Satan, the power of sin and death. His birth was indeed an event of great glory of God's power and love. By God's saving acts, we can rightly join the angels as they sing "Glory to God in the highest."

St. Jerome, who had spent his life at Bethlehem translating the bible living in a grotto was praying one Christmas night, wondering what gift he might make to Jesus, when suddenly the baby Jesus appeared to him, in the midst of a brilliant light.

"Jerome," the infant Jesus asked, "What are you going to give me for my birthday?"
"Divine Infant," replied the saint, "I give you my heart."
"Yes, but give me something more," says the Infant Jesus.
"I give you all my prayers and affections of my heart," Lord.
"Yes, but give me something more,"
"I give you all that I have and all that I am," answered Jerome.
"There is still something more than I want," says the Baby Jesus.
"Divine Infant, I have nothing more. What is it that I can give you?"
"Jerome, give me your sins."
"What will you do with them, Lord?"
"Give me your sins that I may pardon all of them."
"Divine Babe," exclaimed the saint, "you make me weep."

And the strong man, filled with love of the Infant Jesus, wept for joy.

I think that message from the Infant Jesus was not only for St. Jerome, but also for each one of us. Christ is no longer in the manger in Bethlehem. He left that over 2,000 years ago.

Christmas present is God present in our midst, his spirit inspiring us to care and respect all people, especially the needy. It is a time to encounter Christ in a personal way, to let him be born in us, that we maybe "Christs" in our time and age - to the people around us. Let us be the "Good News" to people in our time.

The second part of the angelic song says, "Peace on Earth." It is the Lord's mission statement set to music. We will work and pray for it, for our suffering world is filled with violence, hatred and mutual mistrust. It's unfortunate that we have not taken seriously the message of the Prince of Peace.

We give glory to God when we extend ourselves to one another and thereby create a small atmosphere of peace on earth. Our kind words naturally invite other kind words from our neighbor, and that could start a pleasant chain reaction to produce peace on earth. Selfishness breeds contempt, and hatred turns to war - but love, like a seed, germinates and grows into everlasting goodness.

Tonight we join all our prayers with those of the angels. We re-echo once again the meaning of the birth of Jesus, the message of the Church, the mission of Jesus and song of the angels, "Glory to God..Peace on Earth."

Merry Christmas to all of you!