On 25/12, we celebrate the earthly birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word, the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. This birth is the central event of salvation history, because He who was born is not merely one of humanity, but true God and true man in one Person.
Pope Julius I declared 25/12 to be the day of Jesus' birth in 350. According to the symbolic explanation of the new feast, Christmas is the birthday of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Various customs are associated with Christmas, such as Nativity plays and erecting a Christmas tree.
Nativity plays are a dramatic re-enactment of the birth of Jesus and the events in Bethlehem. Its main scenes include the search for lodging, in which the pregnant Mary and Joseph seek shelter, and the shepherds' play, whose main characters are the shepherds, to whom the angel announced the birth of the Saviour, and who went to the newborn Jesus to bring Him gifts.
Saint Francis of Assisi set up the first Nativity scene 800 years ago, in 1223, in a church in Greccio. The Bethlehem crib helps us understand the mystery of Christmas, for it speaks of the humility and merciful goodness of the Divine Son, who "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor" (2 Cor 8:9) for us. His poverty enriches those who receive Him. Christmas brings joy and peace to all who, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, heed the angel's word: "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Lk 2:12). It is a beautiful custom to place a small Nativity scene under the Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree is a symbol of God's giving love. Christmas trees were first erected in homes by German Lutherans in the XVI century. Its evergreen nature points to eternity, its triangular shape to the Holy Trinity, and its branches evoke the cross. The candles on the Christmas tree are signs of the born Light, and its decorations are signs of eternal glory. The Christmas star at the top of the tree expresses that the home of the person who puts up the Christmas tree has become the same Bethlehem cave over which the star pointing to the newborn Jesus stood.
25/12, Christmas, is an intimate family celebration. For the faithful, the Christmas table surrounded by family members is a symbol of the altar and also a symbol of family unity and belonging. The feast is an opportunity to recognise and accept God's love, which touches every person, shining through the harshness of the Bethlehem night and transforming it into intimacy.
While gifts and decorations can indeed make the feast more intimate, do we have enough time to reflect on what Christmas is truly about: the birth of Jesus? Are we seeking the glory of the Saviour in the right place, listening to the words of the angels as the shepherds once did, and setting out to find Him? Do we hear Jesus' teaching, in which He shows us the power of quiet contemplation? Do we understand that in our noisy world, a quiet presence often says more than words?
To all our dear readers, a Christmas rich in graces and a God-blessed, Happy New Year!
Joyful News Press Office / Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza
Source: katolikus.hu
Photo: dnyem.hu