UNDERSTANDING THE LITURGY by John J. O'Brien, C.P.

HO, HO, HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS

Every year I prepare for Christmas by reading Truman Capote's short story, "A Christmas Memory", and Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales". Both stories use language beautifully. Both convey Christmas warmth wonderfully.

Christmas is the feast in the popular imagination. So, what does Christmas mean? One person told me, "it's the Christianization of a pagan feast." Another said, "it's about the birthing of Christ." Still another said, "it's the birthday of baby Jesus." What would you say Christmas is?

At this point, ho, ho, ho, I am going to opt for high suspense by not telling you my answer. Instead, let's dig back into Christian history.

Christmas was not celebrated until 336 in Rome. Some think that the feast was created to replace and counteract the Roman celebration of the sun festival related to the winter solstice, called the birth of the sun unconquered. Christians figured that Jesus, the Son of God, was the Sun of Righteousness and the source for the sun in the sky.

Others theorize that Dec. 25 was selected to connect with March 25, the date that fourth-century Christians believed was the historical date for Jesus' passion. This goes back to a Jewish idea, i.e., that the death and birth of the religiously significant were the same. This would obtain for the creation of the world, the end time, and the birth and death of Abraham, Isaac, end Jacob. March 25 was 'established as the conception date of Jesus (the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the birth date for Jesus became nine months later, Dec. 25.

The appearance of Christmas was part of a fourth century tendency to take Christian mysteries (e.g., the birth of Jesus, his passion, his resurrection, etc.) and cement them in the concrete dates of history. This tendency was complemented in Jerusalem by the building of shrines over the sites where the death and resurrection of Jesus happened. Ever since then there is a temptation to reduce feasts to celebrations or sentimental commemorations of past historical events.

" Hodie Christus natus est. Today Christ was born". Today Christ is born and is made manifest in this Christian assembly, in the human community we call St. Malachy. Today this divine action is anchored in the original birthing of Jesus, God's short and simple Word made flesh two millennia ago. Today we look forward to Christ's coming again when all of humanity and all of creation will be birthed into eternity.

What I am saying is that Christmas is more than a birthday party. It is mystery. It is God's involvement with humanity by the Word becoming flesh, by God's continued involvement with humankind, and by God's promise for creatures and creation. That God would show Trinitarian love in the incarnation and appearance of the Word made flesh is really one of the most awesome assertions in the history of ideas. Savor the mystery from Dec. 25, through the Epiphany (= manifestation), and up to the Baptism of the Lord! Be merry now. One day we shall merrily meet again in heaven!