Christmas spirit [Archives:2006/1010/Letters to the Editor]
Paul Kokoski
Ontario, Canada
[email protected]
In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi simply and joyfully commemorated the nativity scene according to the infant gospel, thus, the crib became one of the traditional and best-loved Christmas symbols. In the crib, we contemplate the One who stripped himself of divine glory in order to become poor, driven by love for mankind.
Besides the crib, the Christmas tree, with its twinkling lights, reminds us that with the birth of Jesus, the tree of life has blossomed anew in the desert of humanity. The crib and the tree – precious symbols handing down throughout time the true meaning of Christmas!
Amid today's consumerist Christmas attitude, we're allowing ourselves to be stripped of our traditions – the dearest and most venerable, the oldest and sweetest, the truest and most beautiful – so that carelessly and via neglect, we are abandoning Christ to follow the latest futile fad.
A sensitive Christian wouldn't let anything replace the crib and Christmas tree because commemorating these means passing on the history of popular piety and religiosity.
Setting up the crib and Christmas tree in homes and public places, not in a folkloric manner but as symbols of faith, prayer and offering, means rediscovering joy and the solidarity of friendship, the human tenderness of relations and the piety of souls of enchanted children and adults.
In the advancement of faith, family and fraternity, may we all strive to keep Christ in Christmas!
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[archive-e:1010-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-12-25-p:letters]
