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Probably like many of you, I have recently been receiving a lot of “forwarded” emails reminding me to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” None of this is new, however. As long as I have been alive (and that’s getting to be quite a long time), people of faith—including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—have complained about how secularism, materialism, and consumerism effectively “Keep Christ out of Christmas.” Yes, the “PC police” have dictated that we can only say “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays.” Why? We might offend the feelings of those who don’t believe God became human in Jesus Christ or, for that matter, those who don’t believe in God at all. Offending anyone by publicly displaying what we believe and celebrate as Christians appears to be the mortal sin in our culture today. Or, worse yet, as Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State argues about religious displays in public spaces: “I applaud your faith. Just keep it private and don’t have the government subsidize it.” It may well be the case that all of this is becoming increasingly pervasive and prevalent in our culture. All of this may have also reached the point that we really do need to be more vigilant if we are going to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” An outcome like this doesn’t just happen overnight. Nor does it happen because people set out to achieve a malevolent objective. No, an outcome—like not being able to say “Merry Christmas” for fear of offending someone—happens very slowly and almost imperceptibly until something truly malevolent feels almost as natural as the air we breathe. History teaches the two signs portending this slow but inevitable transformation of culture. First, very well-intentioned people experience that “certain feeling” that something is awry when, for example, displays of the Ten Commandments are forcibly evicted from courtrooms, the phrase “In God We Trust” is expunged stealthily from our nation’s coins, and crèches are restricted from being displayed in public spaces. Yet, these very well-intentioned people don’t act on that feeling because they are fearful of doing anything that might offend others. In other words, these very-well intentioned people realize that if they are to say or do something about what they believe is wrong, they may have to pay a price. So, in the belief that it’s better to “let sleeping dogs lie” and not to “point sticks at snakes,” these very-well intentioned people decide to keep their big mouths shut (that is, “KTBMS”). That’s the second, unambiguous sign of this transformation of culture. Because these very-well intentioned people do KTBMS, they aren’t prophetic because they don’t evangelize others. That is, they don’t profess their faith in public and witness to it. The transformation of culture is then complete. But, at what cost? Suddenly, these very well-intentioned people find themselves having lost the battle. Now, they live in an alien culture, one that is entirely hostile to any public expression of their religious faith. “How did we get ourselves into this mess? When is God going to come and save us?” they ask. While this may sound very much like our culture today as people email one another reminding them to “Keep Christ in Christmas,” this is precisely what Isaiah was prophesying about nearly 2400 years ago. Having trusted in themselves rather than in God, the Jewish people were a conquered nation. With their Temple in Jerusalem destroyed, the Jews were prisoners, exiled from their homeland. Reflecting on these events, all of those very-well intentioned Jews who were lucky enough to have survived now found themselves longing for freedom and the restoration of their nation. “When will God send the Messiah who will save us?” That question besieged the minds and tugged at the hearts of those well-intentioned and faithful Jews who all along had KTBMS. Think about those two signs and what they almost always inevitably lead to. Consider also how Isaiah prophesied why the Jews had lost everything and were now exiles in a foreign land. Then, consider our own nation. It was about thirty years ago that some faithful Jewish people began agitating for and then demanding that menorahs be placed in public spaces next to Christmas displays. Taken at face value, their complaint made eminent sense. Why should only Christian symbols be erected in public spaces? Why aren’t those of other faith traditions displayed just as prominently? Facing potential litigation and not wanting to offend people, and Jews in particular, civic officials responded to the pressure being brought to bear. Suddenly, menorahs were placed beside crèches in public spaces both festooned with holiday trees with all of the trimmings, making the Jewish festival of lights—called “Chanukah”—equivalent to the birth of the Messiah—called “Christmas.” Sure, some were upset by this. But, the brouhaha eventually wore itself out. I suspect that many of us are now so used to this annual “holiday display,” that the irony of a menorah being placed beside a crèche doesn’t even register. Who cares anyway? What’s all the fuss about? The irony has to do with two very different conceptions of what it means to be a prophet and how prophets are to challenge their fellow citizens and cultures to change. Chanukah celebrates one approach, jihadist-like warfare, to restore what has been defiled through religious freedom and national independence. In contrast, Christmas celebrates a very different approach, how God became human and, in the “Prince of Peace,” called the Jewish people to repentance. Through baptism, each of us has been anointed a prophet. But, the important question, posed by today’s gospel tell the story of John the Baptist, is “What kind of prophet?” Is it to be a jihadist-like warrior who seeks to restore what has been defiled through religious freedom and national independence? Or, is it to be a peacemaker who calls people to reconciliation with God and one another through sincere repentance? When religious symbols—like a menorah or a crèche—are placed side by side and festooned with holiday trees, their meanings become blurred and their stark differences are softened, so much so that they don’t really mean anything. That’s why I’m not so much worried about “Keeping Christ in Christmas,” but I am very worried about “Keeping Christ in the word Christian.” With so many Christians practicing KTBMS for fear of offending anyone, they are not prophesying by calling their fellow citizens and culture to reconciliation with God and one another through sincere repentance. So, I thought it would be helpful to differentiate these two symbols by taking a very brief trip down “history lane.” What is Chanukah? It is a holiday celebrating religious freedom and national independence for God’s chosen people. Dating back more than 2,000 years to the land today called Syria, the Greeks had conquered the Jewish people and forced them to turn away from their monotheistic faith and to worship the Greek gods. One particularly savage Greek overlord, King Antiochus, placed an idol of the god Zeus on the holiest altar in the Temple located in Jerusalem, thus desecrating the Temple, and making it unfit for Jews to worship in. The story of Chanukah begins with a vastly outnumbered group of freedom fighters who called themselves the “Maccabees,” a Hebrew word meaning “the hammers.” The name sort of says it all, doesn’t it? (We see a similar scenario playing out today in Syria and Lebanon as the Hezbollah “freedom fighters” seek the destruction of the State of Israel and restoration of the land of Palestine.) Strengthened only by their unwavering tenacity and faith in God, the Maccabees eventually drove the Greco-Syrians out of Judea after three years of brutal fighting and against all odds. (Let us not this this a “pretty picture.” It was all very similar to the brutality we see in this generation’s al Qaeda approach to dealing with its enemies.) The Maccabees then reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem. When the leader of the Maccabees, Judah, and his followers had finished cleansing the Temple of its defilement, they wanted to light the perpetual light (which is similar to a sanctuary lamp in a Catholic Church), that is present in every Jewish temple or synagogue and which symbolizes the light of God’s presence (the Shekinah) abiding in the house of worship. Once lit, the oil lamp is not to be extinguished. Judah had a problem, however, as only one tiny jug of oil was available and it held only enough oil for the perpetual light to remain lit for perhaps one day. But, possessing unwavering tenacity and faith in God, Judah went ahead anyway, filling the oil lamp and lighting it. A miracle occurred as that tiny amount of oil kept the perpetual candle lit not for one day, but for eight full days, until new oil had been pressed and ritually purified. This eight-day miracle is what Jewish people celebrate as “Chanukah,” a word meaning “dedication” or “consecration.” It evokes the Maccabees’ decision to rededicate the Temple and God’s gracious miracle in making that little bit of oil last eight days. During the days of this celebration, the Jewish people light one of the eight candles on the menorah each day at sunset. The menorah grows in brightness each day, culminating in the lighting of the eighth candle on the anniversary of the day the Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, approximately 145 years before Christmas. It is not happenstance that the early Christians celebrated the birth of God’s only begotten Son on the 25th day of December, to be a perpetual reminder that the “Light of lights”—God’s Shekinah—has come into the world. This is how the presence of the Jewish menorah beside the Christian crèche presents an ironic contrast of understandings about the biblical role of prophet. The menorah reminds faithful Jews of the importance of being prophetic—like the Maccabees—by not thinking of oneself but of what faith requires. Faithful Jews are not to remain silent when paganism in any form or in any generation rears its ugly head. Instead, like the Maccabees, faithful Jews are to rise up and, like freedom fighters, to hammer away at any attempt to defile the public square by pushing God and expressions of faith out of it. Strengthened only by unwavering tenacity and faith in God, the fight may very well be brutal and victory may be against all odds. But, this is the only way faithful Jews will reclaim what has been defiled. For the Jews, this is what it means to a prophet and explains, as well, why the celebration of Chanukah is of such immense meaning to faithful Jewish citizens of the State of Israel. In contrast, the crèche reminds faithful Christians that they are to be prophetic—like John the Baptist and Jesus—thinking not of themselves but of what faith requires. Anointed as prophets in the Sacrament of Baptism, Christians are to cry out “make straight the way of the Lord” in the wilderness of their culture. In contrast to the menorah, the crèche reminds faithful Christians that the battle is ideological not physical, a matter of challenging the crooked ways people think so that they change their minds and, in turn, will change the way they think about important moral and ethical issues. For Christians, prophecy is not a matter of pummeling others into submission but of evangelizing them to reconciliation with God and one another through sincere repentance. That is why today is a day for rejoicing. We rejoice that God has anointed us as prophets in the Sacrament of Baptism. Our goal is not to “keep Christ in Christmas,” as laudable as that may be. Our challenge is to “keep Christ in the word Christian” and not as Christians KTBMS, but as they evangelize others to make straight the way of the Lord. Only through reconciliation with God and one another which requires sincere repentance will we reform our culture and live, as the People of God, in peace.
A brief commercial break... As Catholics, we prepare for Christ's coming by celebrating the season of Advent. During those four weeks, we prepare the way for Christ to come into our own lives each and every day not just on Christmas day. For Catholic families, let me suggest five practical ways to prepare for Christ's coming: 1. Place an advent wreath in the center of your dinner table. Each evening before sitting down for dinner, have one member offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His presence in the life of your family and light the appropriate candle(s). Looking for an advent wreath? The best advent wreath (and Christmas wreath, by the way) is made of holly not evergreen. The elements of holly (the holly itself and the red berries) recall the crucifixion of Christ. He was crowned with thorns. The thorns bit into his brow, causing red drops of blood to flow. No color is more associated with Christmas than red, the color of Good Friday. This symbolism is consistent with scripture: "By the Lord's stripes we are healed." So, the holly is green, a color associated with life and hope—reminding us of the birth of the Savior—and the berries are red—reminding us of how the gift of eternal life has been won for us through the blood of Christ. I don't think it's easy to find holly wreathes, but then, I've never looked for one. I do know that a round metal wire holder and plastic holly branches can be purchased at Michael's. That would do the trick. Then remember: three purple and one pink candle. And, don't forget to place the Advent calendar on the front of the refrigerator. 2. Use an Advent calendar. Hang an advent calendar on the refrigerator door beginning on December 1st. Each morning, before everyone scatters for the day, have one member of the family open one door and read the scripture verse or describe the biblical scene behind the door. This is a great way for family members to keep focused on the coming of Christ for the rest of the day. 3. Make a Jesse tree. The Jesse tree is the traditional way that Catholics recall Jesus' heritage, coming from the line of King David, the son of Jesse. Have members of the family make a symbol for each day of Advent that marks an important moment in Israel's history (e.g., Noah's ark, Jacob's ladder, Moses' stone tablets, David's harp). Then, each evening before everyone goes to bed, gather the family around the Jesse tree, have the family member explain the symbol, and hang it on the tree. 4. Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th. One way to "put Christ back into Christmas" is to reclaim the faith-filled life of heroic virtue revealed in the great Christian saint, St. Nicholas of Myra. Besides sharing simple gifts with family members, like placing candy in shoes that have been left outside of the bedroom door, share some time with people who are alone, in the hospital, convalescing, etc. 5. Celebrate God's mercy. Advent is a particularly fitting time for every member of the family to welcome the light of God's forgiveness into the dark places of family life. Gather the family together and go to church to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance together. Then, go out for pizza to celebrate God's mercy and a new beginning free from sin. By participating in these five practical activities to prepare for Christmas day, Catholic families will not only have contemplated their need for God and God's self-revelation through salvation history. In addition, they will have experienced God present and active in their family's life. Then, on Christmas day, when family members greet one another by saying, "Merry Christmas," they all will truly be prepared to celebrate the Mass wherein Christ will strengthen and nourish them with his body and blood to bring Christ to the world. |
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HOMILY
