I think I write this type of blog every year and the reason is simple ... it really does bother me what Christmas has become verses what Christmas really is. It is supposed to be the Birthday of Jesus Christ, but it has become a money- making season all around the world. Let's start with what Christmas is supposed to be.
The Bible tells us that an angel sent by God visited Mary, who was a virgin. She was told she would be the mother of Jesus, the savior of the world and God's only Son. Mary became pregnant with baby Jesus so she and Joseph, a young carpenter traveled to Bethlehem, a small city to give birth to our Lord. I'm sure they expected better accommodations as they entered Bethlehem. As they tried to get a room at an Inn, they were told there was no room. This young couple had to stay in a stable, the very place animals dwelled to give birth to the savior of the world. After Jesus was born, the only place they could lay him was in a manger, the very place animals would feed out of. Imagine that! The savior of the world is placed in the same spot where animals eat their food. Historians tell us that Jesus was probably born in the springtime and not December 25th. There is also a theory that the Wisemen came much later to see baby Jesus than what was said. The bottom line is this. Christmas should be the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and his Birthday. Unfortunately, it is not. The world has decided to change it and make it different. Now let's take a look at what Christmas has become!
You are a young child, and your parents take you to the mall. You stand in line with many other kids your age and you are waiting to see a fat guy wearing a red suit with a long white beard. You sit on his lap, and you tell him what you want for Christmas. Christmas morning comes and underneath your Christmas tree are loads of presents. Santa has come! Everyone is excited and you can feel the magic. Hopefully you received the gift you asked Santa for, and hopefully everyone is happy. As soon as the Halloween decorations and items are removed from Walmart and other stores, you see Christmas decorations being displayed, even before the leaves have fallen from trees. It amazes me how much stores are making during Christmas but also how much money people spend on presents. We all enjoy December 25th. We love being with our families and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What bothers me is that we have forgotten what Christmas is really all about. It should be about Jesus, but it has become all about that fat guy in a red suit, unfortunately.
As a child, Christmas had two meanings for me. Being raised in the Catholic church the first 13 years of my life, Christmas to me was part religious and part fun. The religious part if you will, was having to sit at Catholic mass which felt like 4 hours but was much less than that. We were in a very crowded church sitting on hard wooden pews, and the Priest would tell us about the birth of Jesus. It was Christmas Eve. I was bored as a young kid, so I would count the lights or daydream and imagine what would happen if the St. Peter statue, which was right in the front of the church, all of a sudden came to life in front of us. Mass would end and that would be the end of the "religious" part of Christmas. My family would go home, have our Italian Christmas Eve dinner with fish, spaghetti, clams, more fish, more spaghetti and more food. It's a special time and is still a family tradition!
Please know that I am not a "killjoy." I love Christmas, I love being with family, I love giving presents, I love looking at Christmas lights and I love putting up my Christmas tree, decorating it and putting icicle lights on my house (although this year I was not able to do that.) I love driving through town seeing Christmas lights on lampposts and Nativity Scenes at churches. I love seeing cars decorated and I recently saw one car decorated as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with a red nose in the front. I love hearing Christmas music while at home, on the radio in my car and while shopping. I even still laugh at the Christmas cartoons I watched as a kid that my brother and I have memorized to this day. All these things are fun and put a smile on not only my face but the face of everyone who enjoy this season.
With what is going on in our world today, people want, need and are searching for happiness. People begin celebrating Christmas as soon as we finish handing out the last of our Halloween candy. It's as if we try so hard to skip Thanksgiving and go right into Christmas. If you ask anyone on the street the question, "What is the real meaning of Christmas?", they will probably answer "It's all about being with family, having the 'Christmas Spirit,' spreading joy and love to everyone and getting presents." It saddens me that we have not given any recognition to the real honored guest, the real reason we celebrate ... JESUS! It's His Birthday! Do you want happiness? It's simple. Follow Jesus and let Him be the Lord of your life. I did on December 6, 1977, and it was my greatest Christmas gift ever! In the meantime, let's remember that baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in that manger in Bethlehem. He would later on in life die on the cross for our sins. He deserves not only one special holiday to celebrate his birth, he needs to be celebrated every single day!
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! DON'T EVER
FORGET WHAT THIS SEASON REALLY IS!!
Good post! Jesus is the reason for the season and for our lives! 🙏
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