Article for the Knights of Columbus newsletter, January 2014

I would like to begin by stating that Jesus is Lord of Heaven and Earth. That being stated, I find it amusing that there are certain political television personalities that believe that they are presently the saviors of Christmas from outside secular forces declaring war on Christmas. Any serious student of Church history would find that it was the Christian Church that actually “Christianized” the Winter Solstice Bacchanalias (read: drunken, orgy parties) that the Pagans celebrated at this time of year. It is a bit ironic that it was Christianity that “stole” the holiday from the Pagans, to dissuade Christians from participating in parties that were largely filled with immoral activity. Jesus remains, however, Lord of Heaven and Earth. Astronomical and historical records, using the information we have from scripture, actually have Jesus’ historical birth occurring  in the Spring of the year, not early Winter. For the early Christian Church the highest feast was and remains Easter, followed by Pentecost. Christmas didn’t begin to be celebrated until 300 years after Jesus was born, and for the reasons stated above. In Christianizing this time of year we emphasize that just as at Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the year, light begins to grow, Jesus was born into the deep darkness of human history spreading the light of God’s love to all people. The real essence of our Christmas celebration is allowing the light of Jesus to open and spread into the darkness of our lives, in spite of our own selves. Jesus is, still, Lord of Heaven and Earth. Like it or not, as it has throughout human history, drunken orgies, Pagan or Secular, will still occur at this time of year, despite the efforts of self-proclaimed “saviors” of Christianity on political television. As much as I, personally, would like to “save” Christmas from the self-indulgent behaviors of those television personality “saviors.” Jesus is the only savior, and Jesus is Lord of Heaven and Earth. Whether he was born in the Spring or early Winter, we celebrate and honor his birth by the way we live the light of faith that he has given us. To keep holy, Christmas, we must place Jesus first and foremost in our lives, all the rest will follow from there, for Jesus is and will always remain Lord of Heaven and Earth.