A Catholic Christmas

Over the centuries since the birth of Jesus Christ and the institution of the Catholic Church much has been said about its exclusiveness, its restrictive doctrines, and its limitations. Yet, the very term “catholic” literally means universal, bearing the qualities of being inclusive and comprehensive. From the onset of Christianity, when Christ, the anointed one, came into the world, an invitation was sent out in the form of good news to come to Jesus, our Savior. This critical message, this invitation, was heralded from the very beginning, for in Luke chapter 2 we read: “The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” Luke 2:10

The Catholic faith, by its very nature, is not exclusive - on the contrary - it challenges each of its members to go out and proclaim the good news that Jesus is our Messiah, our Savior, and our Lord. From the very beginning, Christianity had an evangelical mission, and the Catholic Church continues to urge us to invite all the people to this wonderful faith.

A Catholic Christmas is not only a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, it is an opportunity to evangelize at a time when the world is paying attention. There are more lights than usual. There is more goodwill which is evident. There are cards with good wishes, gifts exchanged, and a widespread opportunity to spread joy. These special practices provide a means to open the door for evangelization. We have an opportunity to be the shepherds in the Christmas scene.

“When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.” Luke 2:15-18

A Catholic Christmas provides us with a chance to revisit Bethlehem each year, to go and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. We attend Christmas services at church, we participate in reenactments of the Nativity, we become more prayerful, we turn to God, we turn toward the manger, we recognize our need to be saved through penance. We embrace the good news that God loves us

And then, like the shepherds, we make known the message that has been told to us about this child. There are ample ways to extend this invitation and to carry this message out into the world, particularly through acts of charity, to show our love for all. We can follow the example of the shepherds when they went back to their lives -

“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.” Luke 2:20

A Catholic Christmas is not an exclusive holiday. It is a tremendous chance to invite everyone to the faith, to celebrate with us, and to hear the good news. It is a chance for us to show the world how we glorify and praise God for all we have heard and seen.

Merry Christmas.