The choir at The Notre Dame School performs Christmas Carols for parents and shoppers in the Dillard’s Plaza at Northpark Mall on Dec. 1. (JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic)
By Father Timothy Gollob
Special to The Texas Catholic
As the great feast of Christmas rushes in on us like a tsunami, many people are crying out in despair of ever having enough gifts purchased or of placing adequate decorations to festoon their houses or of baking cookies enough for their parties and dinners.
Ads blare out to come and see and buy. We are harassed to get our cyber gifts quickly. Appetizing menus of tempting foods and drinks appear in the newspapers and on the television.
But amidst all this blatant propaganda, the voices of the virtuous are heard: “Put Christ back into Christmas!” Boycott Santa Claus and the stores that advertise him!
My mind muses on this situation by recalling that Christ is very well represented at this holy time. There are novenas and feasts galore. Churches are filled with cribs and candles. That is an appropriate location for them.
We need to do some homework. Xmas is an abbreviation for Christmas (X being a part of the Greek alphabet = Ch). An old saying states, “That is Greek to me!” But you know better now!
Also Santa Claus is a morph of good St. Nicolas, who gave gifts of money to the poor of his time. He did it in secret so our jolly St. Nick comes in the night to gift goodies to our kids.
To put Christ back into Xmas is really our special task and privilege. We are the ones who need to be about getting gifts for our children and each other because Christ is the great gift of God to our world. To protect and to save our one Earth is an excellent Christmas example we give to the whole community of the human race.
We need to get out into the crowds and radiate patience and love and joy. We need to attend fiestas and parties and dinners to re-cement our relationships with family and friends.
We need to get rid of grudges and ancient “bad taste” memories. Make this season a joyful beginning of the Year of Mercy.
Darkness does not love light, but we believe that on that first Christmas night the stars danced and the angels sang of peace.
May your family dance and sing this Xmas!!!
Father Timothy Gollob is the pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.
