Christmas with Jesus

Christmas this year was unlike any other I have experienced. I was not with family or friends. I have been alone for Christmas before, but those years I was able to call my mom and wish her a merry Christmas. This year, there was nobody to call. This year, in order to get through the day, I treated it just like any other day, with one exception. I watched Christmas Eve mass from the Vatican at 6:00PM and then the one on EWTN from Washington at 10:00PM. I spent the day as I would anyone's birthday. Since it was Jesus' birthday, I restricted my celebrations to Him. I managed to get through the day with only a few tears. I co-worker called and invited me to come over for supper with his family, but I declined. I knew that if I did any of the "traditional" Christmas things, I would be washed in tears.

Tonight on EWTN, Mother Angelica (in a show that was recorded years ago) was speaking on the celebration of Christmas and said that it seemed like those who spend Christmas alone are the ones who are actually celebrating Christmas for what it is. They don't spend hundreds of dollars, months before Christmas putting up decorations, putting up a Christmas tree that will be out in the streets on the 26th of December for the garbage man to collect. I got to thinking about where Jesus is in the "traditional" Christmas celebrations. Is He in the decorations? Is He in the tree? Is He in the presents? Is He in all the food? Yes, people put out Nativity scenes, right beside the snowmen and Santa Claus. We give presents because Jesus said to give, but then grip about what we got in return, or just don't appreciate what we got. We pray before the meal thanking God for His son's birthday before making pigs of ourselves. I read the other day that Americans will spend over $8 billion just on Christmas decorations this year. That doesn't include the billions spent on things for people who don't need them. Meanwhile, millions will do with any food to eat on Christmas this year, let alone have enough for presents or decorations. So, if this is a Christian nation, as so many keep telling us it is, where is the Christ in an American Christmas? God humbled Himself in the incarnation, so much so as to be born in a stable. How have we humbled ourselves this Christmas? God gave humanity the means of our salvation, Jesus, on Christmas. What have we really humanity on this Christmas? God gave a star for people to follow to find Jesus' manger. With all the Christmas decorations that are put up, one can barely see the stars today.

Maybe this is just the way we honor people today. We honor them for what they represent by doing it in a way which go against everything for which they stood. We honor the humble with big awards and accolades. We honor those who work with the poor with big banquets. We honor Jesus with big buildings and buying trinkets while our neighbor goes hungry. We honor Mother Teresa with awards that do nothing to help the poor. So maybe we are just are so far off track with everything, that simply honoring someone the way they want, and not the way we want, is too much of a stretch for us. May God help us.