We made “the trip” to the mall this past weekend and waited an hour in line for a picture with Santa as we do each year. Megan is almost too old (11) but agreed one last time. As we stood in line, Matthew waited as patiently as a “4 year old” can. As I observed the excitement Santa stirs in the hearts of the children, I thought how easily the commercialization of Christmas can make us overlook that this time of year is about the birth of Christ and our love for one another. It reminded me of a song my sister shared with me recently by Becky Kelley:

Christmas time was approaching,
the snow was starting to fall,
shoppers choosing their presents,
people filling the mall.
Children waiting for Santa
with excitement and glee,
a little boy tugged my sweater,
looked up and asked me…

Chorus:
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don’t we see Him more?

As I stood in amazement
at this message profound,
I looked down to thank him,
he was nowhere around.

The little boy at the mall
might as well have had wings.
As the tears filled my eyes,
I thought I heard him sing …

Chorus:
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don’t we see Him more?
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for me.

In the blink of an eye,
at the sound of His trump,
We’ll all stand in line at His throne.
Every knee shall bow down,
every tongue will confess,
That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Chorus:
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don’t we see Him more?

Where’s the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for me.

As we celebrate this glorious time of year, let us not forget to share the story of the birth of Christ on Christmas with our children. Teach them what Christ did for us and what they can do for others so they too can find “the line to see Jesus someday”.

Merry Christmas

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending the taping of the Christmas mass at St. Jude the Apostle with Bishop Hubbard. The church was decorated beautifully, the children’s choir sounded amazing and Bishop Hubbard’s homily stressed that although the world has commercialized Christmas, as Catholics we must remain steadfast in our love for Christ and each other, always modeling the true spirit of Christmas regardless of the actions of others.

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

This week’s review is about the movie “Christmas with a Capital C” which confronts the growing trend towards saying “Happy Holidays”, “Seasons Greetings”, and the removal of “Christ” from Christmas. The story begins when Mitch Bright (a lawyer) returns to his hometown only to find his high school rival Dan Reed (now Mayor) breaking the law by displaying a nativity scene on government property. Having a personal vendetta against Dan, Mitch decides to file an injunction to prevent the nativity scene from being displayed in the town. Tensions rise, dividing the town and challenging Dan’s notion of what it means to “fight” for Christmas as the Mayor but more importantly as a Christian man. Soon, Dan realizes that the best outward sign of our love for Christ at this time of year isn’t the decorations we are “allowed” to display, but by the love and compassion we show for one another…even those that have hurt us. This cannot be taken from anyone.

Over the years, I too have succumbed to the societal pressure to mindlessly say “Happy Holidays” at times, especially with people I didn’t know well. Our Christmas cards became “Season’s Greetings” cards with no mention of Christmas. This left me feeling empty and ashamed. After seeing this movie and hearing Bishop Hubbard, I realize that evangelizing Christ’s birth and modeling Christ’s behavior is the perfect way to “display” the true meaning of Christmas to the world.