Christmas is only a few days away, so I thought I'd say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
To my regret, I don't think I'll be going to mass on Christmas because of the repeat in COVID number spikes. I'm in the susceptible category, though I am grateful to have avoided it so far. I missed Easter mass last year in the shut-downs. I will watch a service on EWTN from Rome at 4:30 am. I'm an early bird and will be up anyway. I hope that next year will be more normal and we can all attend all the masses and church services we desire.
God is with us, at home, work and church. We can celebrate the coming of Christ no matter where we are, although Catholics desire the communion which comes when we attend mass. Of course, many Christians get together with food and presents in celebration of Christ's entry to Earth. Sometimes, though, it seems the celebrations don't spell out all that Christ's appearance implies. Don't get me wrong--it is commemoration of a joyous occasion (Luke 2:8-11). However, this year, with increased quiet time to reflect, I see Christmas more as the beginning of the most important battle of good versus evil happening on our planet. This war was going on before, but in the critical battle, Christ came to die for us, and also agreed to live a perfect life so He could take our place in the atonement of sins. Neither of these could have been easy even though He is God.
And the war continues now in our world, but in a different way after Christ's victory. Satan knows he is defeated but tries to fool people away from the Lord. Unfortunately this enemy with his minions has been winning in the US in the last decades. A recent Pew Survey shows the numbers of decreasing Christianity and increasing "nones," people unaffiliated with religion (article HERE).
The battleground for Christians is in the realm of faith. If we believe in Jesus as our Savior, that He died for our sins to satisfy justice, and that He is God as part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we can abide with Him forever. This is our benefit of His great triumph. But for those who don't believe, the future, in this world and beyond, is very bleak. The challenge is to get non-believers to realize the truth and recognize the Truth.
I pray for everyone's safety and health. I hope you will give time to reflect on Christmas. It is a joyous celebration, but it is also a sober reminder of the circumstances under which Christ was born, what He came to do and then accomplished.
