Contrary to what many people today seem to believe and preach, I for one, do believe that Jesus cares if we say “Merry Christmas”. Jesus did come to establish the Kingdom of God right here on this earth, the very start of that mission unfolded at his birth, through the incarnation we obtain our salvation, more specifically through the birth, life, passion, suffering, death and then the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas launches us into a new creation of Heaven and Earth, it begins the unlocking of the pearly gates and ushers in a whole new way to experience and relationship with God the Father through Christ His Son, in the Holy Spirit. So, yeah, Jesus cares if we use the term “Merry Christmas”.
Christmas means “Christ’s Mass”. Now, I know that in our society today many people reject the Mass, even though the Sacrifice is offered up every single day, in every place in the world, in all languages and at all times. So many still reject and walk away from this beautiful gift. Even Catholics reject this gift. I don’t get it, how can any Christian who truly professes love of God, walk away from even the tiniest, remotest possibility that Jesus comes to us body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. How could any Christian not want that, not yearn for that intimacy that Christ offers us in this Sacrament, and why not err on the side of caution, just in case what those Catholics profess to be Truth, is indeed Truth?
Christ cares about the Mass. He did come and offer himself up as that ultimate Sacrifice. What could mere mortals offer God himself in atonement for our wickedness, our wretchedness, our death sentence through sin. Only God himself is worthy enough to atone for our unworthiness, and he does, he gives us the privilege and honor to offer up the Sacrifice of his Glorious Body, Blood Soul, and Divinity every day, in the Mass. You see, Sacrifice is the purest form of worship, it always has been, and it is the worship that God has commanded of us. God does not command us to hold rock concerts and inspirational speaking engagements. God commands us to offer sacrifice, and has done so from the earliest pages of Genesis. Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices to God, and God determined what was worthy and what was not.
So, Jesus does care about “Merry Christmas”. We can kid ourselves and justify our denial of this all we want, but that doesn’t make it Truth. Just as Cain and Abel learned, God does find some worship more worthy than others, and shines on those who follow His commands and not their own preferences and desires.
So, it will be Merry Christmas for me, even though Happy Holidays still does denote a religious message as well, for the word “holiday” actually means “holy day”, which Christmas truly is and will always be. So, Merry Christmas every one!
I hope that you truly can come to know and appreciate the majesty and the truly miraculous in this event we celebrate, not just on Christmas Day, but every day of the year.
I am a 49 year old, wife and mother of two teenage sons. I am Cradle Catholic and have recently been moved to dive more deeply into my faith, to come to a deeper and more satisfying understanding of the church and it’s doctrines and dogmas. The more I read, and discover the deeper my love of the Catholic Church and her teachings becomes.
I live in Cincinnati, Ohio where I attended the same parochial grade school and public high school that my two boys attend. I have been singing in the choir for 35 years and also cantor. I have been a past member of the Education Commission and have devoted many hours to the well being of St. Ann Church and School (now Our Lady of Grace).
I serve on the Committee for Boy Scout Troop 641, where I am the acting Outdoor Activities Director and Merit Badge Counselor. I also help out with the parish junior high youth group, and am helping to develop some retreat programs for the Scouts in our Troop. I also am the mother of an Eagle Scout, and have another soon to be Eagle Scout climbing the ranks rapidly.
I love my Catholic faith, and want everyone to experience the joy and peace that it brings me. I think that too many of us have our priorities in the wrong place and that is leading so many to lives of unhappiness and a lack of fulfillment. I hope to inspire others to delve into the depths of the faith and become beacons of light for their families, neighborhoods, churches and communities.