The term "traditional Christmas" can have different meanings, depending on culture and history of any given family. When we think a Christmas celebration, many of us imagine Midnight Mass, Christmas carolers, presents underneath decorated trees, stockings hung on the fireplace, a turkey in the oven. Others think of tamales or plum pudding, posadas and trips to relative‘s houses. We have special songs, special foods and stories; a special language that is unique to Christmas.

It is interesting to note that most of the things that we think of as indispensable Christmas traditions are actually modern additions to the festivity. Up until the early 1800‘s, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in many of our states who believed the traditions to be too pagan or (even worse) too Catholic. Christmas trees immigrated with German settlers in the 19th Century, the Christmas Card originated in London in the same era. Most of our beloved Christmas Carols were written in the last 200 years. Santa Claus, himself, developed from Danish and English Father Christmas, also in the 19th Century.

The history of the celebration of Christmas in the United States is unusual. The earliest Christmas celebrations in the American southern colonies centered around hunts and socials or balls. They were adult affairs and children were not invited. What a far cry from our modern Santa Claus driven Christmas economic machine! 

There is no doubt that traditions change with a change in culture. What we consider a "traditional Christmas" tomorrow might not bear much resemblance to our celebrations today. But what will always be essential to Christmas will remain the same; God‘s generosity to us, his children. In the cold and fearful darkness that we experience around us in the world, God‘s presence breaks through with the message of the angels. "Fear not!" The Light of Jesus Christ is born among us, a light that brings peace, consolation and joy.

A quote often ascribed to Blessed John Paul II is the statement made by the angel Gabriel to Mary in today’s Gospel, “Do not be afraid.” When one studies the life of our late pope, one can see that the prelate lived this quotation, standing up to Nazism and Socialism in his native land of Poland as student, priest and bishop and battling Communism and the myriad modern issues and problems of the Church in the late 20th Century as pope. John Paul’s life and death can be defined by the gift of the Holy Spirit, Courage.

The biblical image of an angel is quite different from the “Hallmark” version that is so popular today. Ancient people saw angels as fearsome messengers of God. Angels were not pictured as the beautiful, flowing gowned, feathery-winged human-like beings we place on the tops of Christmas Trees. They were powerful, frightening, half animal/half human creatures. They spoke for God and so they portrayed the power and majesty of God. In the Gospel of Luke, the two times that angels speak, their message begins with the statement, “Do not be afraid!” Mary, in this story and the Shepherds in the Christmas story respond with courage. They believe that what the angels say is true and they act upon it so that the Word might be made flesh.

We live in no less fearsome times than that of Mary. Economic hardships, challenges to health, threats of violence, instability of families, changing cultural standards all test our ability to respond to the Word of God so that it might be enfleshed in us. In the face of these challenges, the words of Gabriel are as appropriate to us as they were to Mary and the Shepherds. Do not be afraid! The promise of God’s messenger is that the Lord is truly with us and we can depend on His Providence. As we look forward to the celebration of Christmas and the beginning New Year, let this be our hope and consolation.

“...let this be our hope and consolation.”

The word from the Promises of the Sacred Heart on which we will reflect for the next four weeks is "Consolation". The word comes from two Latin terms, con=with and solari=soothe, comfort. To be a consolation, a person must be able to stand with those needing to be consoled. In this season of Advent, we turn to two of our great examples of faith, Mary, the Mother of Jesus and John the Baptist to be our consolation.

Every year, the Third Sunday of Advent focuses on the person of John the Baptist. John is presented as an Old Testament figure, a stern prophet living in the desert announcing the Kingdom of God. John stood with his people, boldly proclaiming the message of the prophets and the need for repentance. John is a person of Advent, someone who is vigilant in watching and preparing for the Messiah and earnestly sharing God‘s message with others.

Around the Third Sunday of Advent each year we also focus on the person of Mary, celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary is also in line with the great women of the Old Testament; like Hannah who praised God for the gift of her son, the future prophet Samuel, like Sarah who miraculously gave birth to Isaac, ensuring the continuation of the line of Abraham, like Mary‘s own kinswoman, Elizabeth who brought to birth John, the precursor to Jesus. Mary stands with us, her children, giving us strength to respond to God‘s Will and praising God‘s work in us. Mary is a person of Advent, earnestly conforming her will to the Will of God and vigilantly preparing for the birth of her son.

These two models, Mary and John, are people of consolation after whom we should pattern our lives. Like John, we acknowledge that there is one savior of the world, and it is not us! What a consolation that is! We accept his challenge to change the things that need to be changed in our lives so that we might truly be the holy people God created us to be. Like Mary, we actively support God‘s growth within us so that we reflect more and more the love of the one who created us.

At this time of the year, many of us spend time decorating the house, buying presents and preparing special holiday foods. We prepare for Christmas like no other feast in the year. But we are also involved in preparations for many different things and these preparations become an important part in our lives. In preparing for a test, we study the pertinent information. In preparing for a voyage, we pack clothing and articles we think will be necessary for the trip. In preparing for a presentation for work, we organize data and ideas and prepare charts or brochures. In preparing for a wedding or other celebration, we rent halls, hire caterers and bands, send out invitations and buy new clothes. In preparing for a new child, we paint a nursery, buy a car-seat, a crib, diapers and toys.

We always seem to be preparing for something. Most of our work of preparation is physical activity of some type. The preparation mentioned in today’s Gospel is both a physical and spiritual action. John the Baptist echoes the words of the prophet, Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Isaiah gets even more descriptive as he states that our preparations include filling in every valley and bringing down the mountains, very tough physical work for a people with no power tools.

So how do we prepare the way of the Lord? In physical ways, we prepare the way by works of charity and justice; when we feed the hungry and take care of the needs of those around us, when we visit the sick and act with kindness to the elderly, when we teach and support our children and when we speak well of our neighbor. In spiritual ways, we prepare the way through prayer and reflection; when we join the Church in its action of praise at Mass and in our own private devotions. We prepare ourselves spiritually through the attitude with which we enact every other action of our day, an attitude of humility and peace. The way is often difficult to prepare but we have many workers.

May this season of preparation bless you and your families with the Lord’s peace.