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Irene O'Neill, CSJ 12/5/2007 12-5-2007 08:27 AM December 5, 2007 - Thoughts on Christmas Click "Post a Reply to this Thread" above to leave your thoughts and comments.

Sam Fleitman 12-11-2007 10:28 AM RE: December 5, 2007 - Thoughts on Christmas Right on, Sister! My family stopped buying Christmas gifts a few years ago and started giving to charities instead--one small way to make a little difference in the world. We feel relieved with no last-minute shopping, and feel only the love and peace of the season. Our family rejoices in the time together without the anxiety of gifts that mean nothing, and spend a little time together just because we love each other. Love your blog--keep up the great work! Sam

Michael Fisher 12-29-2007 10:36 PM RE: December 5, 2007 - Thoughts on Christmas Irene: I appreciate your goal with this post, but I must implore you to sound more like a Catholic, and less a Puritan. The Catholic perspective is a "both" perspective: we appreciate the Divine *and* the Created. Dr. Frederick D. Wilhelmsen's essay "Christmas in Christendom" (www.cppf.us/CPR/Articles/ 2007/01JFeb07/ChristmasInC.html) was written forty years ago, but still presents a timeless Catholic perspective on Christmas. All of the traditions of Christmas, including gift giving, have been a part of the celebration of the birth of our Savior. And it should be a celebration. Wilhelmsen describes how the Protestant perspective, which devalues the Created, has contributed to what he saw in 1967 as a diminution of the celebration of Christ's birth. Compare that view to today, where the celebration of Christmas is considered offensive in our multicultural, politically-correct world, and makes the created (consumerist) aspect of Christmas seem more important in a relative sense. A CSJ Sister made the dual nature of our Catholic faith quite real for me. I recall telling this Sister about my retreat at Demontreville. I mentioned that I left my peaceful time with God and attended the next day the worldly Minnesota State Fair. Her response was, "don't you think God is at the Minnesota State Fair as He was at Demontreville?" Well, that wasn't the response I expected. However, it was the correct Catholic response. My message on the "dangers" of "Christmas consumerism" would be: "Celebrate our receipt of the Ultimate Gift—God's Son—fully. But just remember, a celebration out of balance or lacking in understanding what we are celebrating means you are not honoring this Gift as it deserves. The message of Christmas is that God loves each one of us, rich or poor, enough to send His Son to redeem our sins. Keep this in mind during your Christmas celebration." Do we get this right all of the time? Of course not, that's why we need redemption. So I say, do the things that mean Christmas, just keep it all in perspective. As usual, the Catholic perspective provides depth, balance and good sense that helps us cope with our time on earth. Best wishes to you for a Happy and Holy New Year. MDF