‘O Come All Ye Faithful’
These are the lyrics of a well-known and well-loved Christmas carol. Once upon a time this carol, along with displays of cribs and statues, decorations proclaiming the Christmas seasons, and exchanges of Merry Christmas greetings, were welcomed and expected generally by everyone.
Today however, we live in a society that is directed by the attitude which rejects everything that is politically incorrect. Under the pretext of not wanting to offend anyone, certain symbols are no longer allowed or acceptable in public places. Traditional and familiar greetings identifying the season and the reason for all the cards, good wishes, the exchanging of gifts, visiting of friends and families are now reduced to simply wishing a ‘happy holiday season’ to those we meet.
Christmas, however, is not just a “happy holiday season” time. It is the celebration of a particular birth – the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah, the eternal Son of God. It is not just a time limited to tinsel, colored lights, good cheer and secular reasons to party.
How tragic it is that today we are living in a very vocal society that would strip us of our faith, our beliefs and our traditions. It seems to me that one who does not believe what I believe is free to choose not to believe. However, it is not true or just to deny me my right to believe. I cannot accept the idea that my religious practices should be relinquished simply to avoid offending anyone; just as surely as I believe that I should not be offended by another’s faith or for that matter – lack of faith.
We, who choose to believe, celebrate the birth of one who came into a world that was sadly oblivious of his presence. He was recognized only by a few and shortly after his birth, he was sought by someone who tried to destroy him.
Sadly it seems to me that our society today would prefer that we also be oblivious of his presence. It seems our society wishes to obliterate his name or anything and everything that suggests or refers to him, even to the absurdity of changing the name of a tree from “Christ-mas” to simply a “festival” or “holiday” tree.
If there ever was a time to believe and celebrate the season of Christmas and the message it brings, i.e. Peace to all of good will, this is the time. How many more acts of violence such as 9/11 and Mumbai do we need to experience before we recognize that we need more belief and more hope in the Prince of Peace and not less or none at all.
May we who boast and claim the name ‘Christ’-ian, always profess the reason we celebrate this season and never deny or accept any other reason.
As we celebrate this joyful and blessed remembrance of the birth of Jesus, we wish you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas and may you and your families be worthy recipients of the Child Jesus’ greatest blessings. May we who believe and practice our beliefs, be the ones who eagerly and faithfully respond to the invitation: O Come All Ye Faithful!
Joseph N. Latino
Bishop of Jackson
