Sister Mary Martha Wins the War on Christmas

There! I believe I have answered all the questions in our queue.

It's Advent! My favorite time of year! And time to address, once again, the ridiculous notion that there is a "War on Christmas".  If you actually think there is a war on Christmas, you clearly stay in your house from September until  mid-January. The Walgreen's has shoved the sand pails and swim noodles to the sale aisle to make room for Christmas items even while they're trying to find a little room for some orange and black items for Halloween. It wouldn't surprise me if "Happy Holidays", which now include Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas and New Year's Eve and day, roped in Halloween as well.

The basis of the idea of the war on Christmas is driven by some sort of persecution complex that some people seem to get when they are reminded that not everyone in the world, or the country, or the town, is Christian.  We'd love it if everyone was a Catholic, but welcome to reality.

Let me point out two things:

1. What persecution actually looks like.

2.  Why is everyone so worried that Christmas is becoming too secular, too commercial? Christmas really was originally a pagan holiday (as was Halloween). And the Church at first tried to ban the holidays ( a word, by the way, that means HOLY DAY..those days were holy for pagans, too). But then the Church figured out (as the United States eventually did with Prohibition) that people are not going to stand for grim winters with no turkey leftovers and warm yule logs and not a single party. The Church actually passed an edict stating that the festivals were not to be banned, suppressed or burned to the ground. The Church instructed, in a stroke of brilliance, that the festivals should be incorporated by simply changing the symbolism and focus of the outward manifestations of the party.

So the big evergreen tree became a symbol of everlasting life and hope. The candle and yule logs became the Light to the world brought by Jesus. If gift giving was good enough for the Magi, it's good enough for us. The snow itself is a white blanket of purity. The holly is the evergreen of life and the red blood of Jesus' sacrifice. A candy cane is purity and martyrdom.

If you're concerned about secularization, just...incorporate. We did it once. Why can't we do it again?  I challenge you to find me something I can't turn into Christmas and Jesus and the Church.

Okay...between you and me, I can't figure out the reindeers. Santa is covered, since he's actually a saint who loved children. But the reindeers have me stumped.

We don't have to worry about Frosty the Snowman. He's just a winter story. Although he is...white. Pure as the driven snow.  But he has a magic hat. That won't do.  If you are a long time reader, you know I don't have a problem with children learning magic stories. But if you're trying to incorporate Frosty, the hat would have to go. Otherwise the hat can stay.

And calm down if someone wishes you "Happy Holidays".  Three things: They are actually saying "Happy Holy Days" whether they realize it or not.  They are trying not to offend you, so why be offended by someone who is trying to be nice? And there are more days of celebration during the season than Christmas and they just want you to be happy during all of them.

Chillax.

Lean Your Ear This Way

St. Gemma was so pretty.


SMM, I have been a volunteer child advocate through the national CASA (court appointed special advocate) program on and off for ten years. Is there a saint for advocates of children?

Of course! Jolly old St. Nicholas!  Santa Claus is the patron saint for children.  The story has a "Sweeney Todd" flair to it.  It seems during a time of famine and evil innkeeper murdered three children, chopped them to pieces and put the pieces in the pickle barrel to cure.

He was planning on passing them off as ham.  Perhaps they were chubby children.

But St. Nicholas came along and solved the crime.  We don't know how he did that.  Perhaps he fancied a pickle and lifted the lid to help himself.  This is why, by the way, we have the "Christmas Pickle",  a German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree. The child who finds it gets a prize. We have two Christmas pickles on our tree.  I can never find them when it's time to take the tree down. No prize for me! And I'm the one who puts them on there in the first place.

I digress.

St. Nicholas rescued the children and miraculously brought them back to life.

Now, while I'm dubious that any of this took place,  I can imagine that you sometimes feel as though you are rescuing chopped up children hidden in pickle barrels.  But that's not really happening to you, either.

It does seem to me that St. Nicholas had a sweet heart, or these legends would not have arisen around him.  We don't have legends of sweet things done by nasty people or even crabby people.  Legends arise from the heart, because of bravery, compassion, strength.

Here's to your bravery, compassion and strength.  I hope Santa was good to you this year.