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3rd Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Terranova Hermitage
December 16, 2018
The Heart of Christmas
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Theme Christmas Trees
In more recent years, theme Christmas trees have become rather popular.
Years ago, most Christmas trees would have a variety of ornaments, lights, tinsel, and garland – but not usually have a theme. Today, there are many theme trees. Valley View Farms has tons of them.
There you’ll see Christmas trees with an NFL theme – with Ravens logos, helmets and footballs. There are trees with a gingerbread theme.
There are trees decorated with a variety of animals and some with all dogs or all cats. And there are trees with a Nascar theme or a Star Wars theme.
And, of course, there are trees for coffee lovers – with a Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks theme. Name the theme and you can find the appropriately decorated tree.
All Good, But…
Now, these Christmas trees can be enjoyable, but I’ve got one caution.
Christmas is not just about my favorite style of decorations or my favorite interest. Instead, every year in Advent, including today’s Advent Gospel, John the Baptist proclaims the true meaning of what we are celebrating.
He calls us to center and focus on something, or really Someone, new. He reminds us that this Season really celebrates Someone – spelled with a capital S – Someone who is far greater than any of us.
So, Reclaim These Customs
And so, what I suggest is that in these days of Advent, we try to reclaim what Christmas is really all about.
Many of our customs are good. And I believe that we can allow them to speak of what Christmas really means.
For example, let’s send Christmas cards that speak of the “good news.”This is the heart of John the Baptists’s message in today’s Gospel.
The passage says, “[John] preached good news to the people,”the news that “one mightier than I is coming.”I find it important that our Christmas cards proclaim this good news and then some of our other customs can define this.
So, let’s understand the lights on our Christmas trees or in our windows as speaking of the light and presence of Jesus. The prophet Zephaniah in the first reading says: “The Lord is in your midst; you have nothing to fear.”
Saint Paul in the second reading repeats the same idea: “The Lord is near.”So, let’s understand our lights as proclaiming the presence of the One who is the light.
And then, let’s allow our Christmas carols speak of our joy in the birth of Christ. Once again, the prophet says today: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!”
And Saint Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice.” We sing carols and are joyful because the Lord is in our midst.
And then, let’s allow our hospitality in this season speak of peace. Saint Paul says it so well today.
If we realize that the Lord is with us, then “the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.” So, the way we greet one another and the way we show hospitality toward others in our homes or workplaces or schools will not be superficial, but will speak of the peace that is possible through Christ.
The Conclusion: Gift-Giving
Finally, let’s allow any gift-giving that we do to express what this Season is really all about.
We could give an Amazon Alexa – a remote and instant connection for music and news and other things – or a PlayStation game console or an American Eagle shirt or a Michael Kors handbag – at least I am told that’s a hot item for women this year. There are so many thingswe can give, but what is important to give?
That’s really what all the people in today’s gospel are asking John the Baptist, when they ask: “What are we to do?”
And John’s answer, to each group, is the same: be fair, just, compassionate, and charitable. That is the real gift we are to give to each other.
Because being fair, just, compassionate or charitable is really the gift of self and, when we give ourselves, then we are doing exactly what God does for us at Christmas in giving us his Son.
Then we have captured the real meaning of this season. Then we are really living Christmas.
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