Today, would Jesus Christ recognize the religion that professes to follow Him? . But one need not fall prey to this timetable. Most of the 2 billion professing Christians on earth today observe Christmas and other extrabiblical holidays without ever giving them a second thought. $8.75. Both … By Fr. Christmas. 358-359). and what communion has light with darkness? Noel, and Ital. not like seculars, and not even like Protestants. In the seventh century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the word of God. The Normans when they invaded England in 1066, introduced a Master of Ceremonies into the English Christmas. . 4.29K subscribers. Sir James Frazer studied the thread of Christmas customs and practices through ancient times and reached an inescapable conclusion: Christmas is but a relic of the worship of the pagan god known by the Persians and Romans as Mithra or Mithras, relabeled with a Christian name. . During this season, Catholics prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Catholic Christmas gifts and cards online. Topics: Marvels of the Faith. Though the basic facts about the origins of Christmas are spelled out in almost any reputable encyclopedia, most people will not look long and hard at their traditions and customs to see if they square with the Bible. The celebrants retired into certain inner shrines, from which at midnight they issued with a loud cry, 'The Virgin has brought forth! Even more curious are the surprising circumstances under which Christmas came to be observed, and the many aspects of today's Christmas celebrations—including the date, Dec. 25—that have nothing to do with Jesus' birth, but do have a lot to do with ancient pre-Christian religions. GN. Be Yourself! What about your beliefs? Accordingly when the doctors of the [Catholic] Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day and the festival of the Epiphany on the sixth of January. Christmas is a holiday widely celebrated throughout Western civilization. The Man, Myth & Magic encyclopedia reveals more of the strange story of Christmas as it continued after the ancient celebrations were adopted by the Catholic Church: "Once given a Christian basis the festival became fully established in Europe with many of its pagan elements undisturbed. Praying for Healing: 2020 Healing Retreat. The supposed connection to Christmas is based on the proximity of the two festivals to each other. . Is Christmas the most important “holiday” of the year? Bundle. This encyclopedia admits that arguments for a Dec. 25 birth of Jesus Christ simply aren't credible (see "Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Christ Wasn't Born on Dec. 25," ). . When it comes to a traditional Catholic Christmas, there is more to it then just simply gathering together on December 25th. Finally, 25 December was proclaimed a fast day in 1644. Love God first, for God always sends us to our neighbors; our neighbors don’t always send us to God. More recently H. Engberding has tried, unsuccessfully, to defend a comparable position. "During the Saturnalia, gifts were made by the wealthy to the poor in honour of the golden age of liberty when Saturn ruled the known world, and slaves were allowed to change places and clothing with their masters. Christians of the Western rite celebrate the holiday of the Nativity of Christ on December 25. by. "In Scotland the prohibition was enforced with great rigour. [32] What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it. We have to wonder how they can reconcile that view with the clear scriptures quoted above. . . American King James Version×;7:1). © 1995–2021 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. The Catholic Liturgical Calendar. "According to the hypothesis suggested by H. Usener, developed by B. Botte, and accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice, because on this day, as the sun began its return to the northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the birthday of the invincible sun. even so will I do likewise. For you are the temple of the living God . Some actually believed December 25 was the birthday of Christ and tried to prove it by arguing from the conception of St. John the Baptist. Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow | Learn more... With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! A room-size replica of the Nativity Scene. So, this Christmas, in addition to receiving gift cards to Barnes and Noble and to the local movie theater and your favorite restaurants, receive the best gift, the free gift of Jesus Christ, and the salvation that he offers to those who receive it. . "In time, however, the Christians of Egypt came to regard the sixth of January as the date of the Nativity, and the custom of commemorating the birth of the Savior on that day gradually spread until by the fourth century it was universally established in the East. "Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome. It's especially ironic to see the articles that appear in many newspapers each year —often written by well-intentioned but misguided clergymen—who recite the pagan origins of Christmas and its trappings but conclude that it doesn't matter because it's now celebrated for a good cause. The Christmas holiday season tends to be what most people look forward to every year. American King James Version×). There are many adaptations of Charles Dicken’s classic novella ‘ A Christmas Carol’ but many people find the 1938 version to be the best (or for a fun alternative, try the Muppet’s Christmas Carol which is surprisingly faithful to the book). . The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe, in 1131. Of course, Christmas has long been accepted throughout much of the world. for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. This can be found repeatedly on the Internet. . Older Catholics may remember when the law of fasting and abstinence (until it was revised by Pope Paul VI in 1966) required Catholics to abstain from meat before noon on Christmas Eve. 3, p. 656, emphasis added throughout). The Catholic Liturgical calendar can be of help. xi, xvii) proclaims, in 566 or 567, the sanctity of the "twelve days" from Christmas to Epiphany, and the duty of Advent fast; that of Agde (506), in canons 63-64, orders a universal communion, and that of Braga (563) forbids fasting on Christmas Day. "Thus it appears that the Christian [Catholic] Church chose to celebrate the birthday of its Founder on the twenty-fifth of December in order to transfer the devotion of the heathen from the Sun to him who was called the Sun of Righteousness" (1993, pp. New Catholic Encyclopedia on Christmas. The roads leading to the destination are important, but the destination is why we are on the road in the first place. The Time of Christmas. or what part has he that believes with an infidel? . Related Catholic Articles. Frazer explains: "What considerations led the ecclesiastical authorities to institute the festival of Christmas? Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 6:14-17 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 [14] Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? Known as the Lord of Misrule, his counterpart in Scotland was called the Abbot of Unreason. Your email address will not be published. These elements were combined with the Saturnalia of the Romans to provide the basis for the early Christian festival. Zip. The Catholic saint John Chrysostom specifically admitted that if the Jewish festivals are great, then those then observed by the Roman Catholics (which by then included Christmas) are lies. "The Egyptians even represented the new-born sun by the image of an infant which on his birthday, the winter solstice, they brought forth and exhibited to his worshippers. This anti-Christmas attitude spread to Puritan territories in America. "The heathen origin of Christmas is plainly hinted at, if not tacitly admitted, by Augustine when he exhorts his Christian brethren not to celebrate that solemn day like the heathen on account of the sun, but on account of him who made the sun. It's up to Catholics to reign in a trend that's been getting out of hand, instead of venturing headlong into the madness and forgetting entirely the practice of the season's deeply spiritual and faith-filled roots. His name was Saint Boniface. Every Christmas is a new beginning — for our lives and for the whole world. journals for Catholic girls and Catholic boys: These are a great resource to inspire your child age 9-plus to become a saint. And on this point he was correct. The Christmas holiday season tends to be what most people look forward to every year. Lit Advent candles in front of a window. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Christmas. It is unconnected with any word meaning “wheel”. Jesus Christ says that those who worship God "must worship [Him] in spirit and truth" (John 4:24 John 4:24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.American King James Version×). Are your beliefs and worship firmly grounded in biblical truth, or in ancient fables? Since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.American King James Version×), and all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16 2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:American King James Version×), they might remind you of what God's Word says about incorporating pagan customs into your worship: ". The word Christmas is short for "Christ's mass," instituted by the Catholic Church and continued by many Protestant churches. Christmas, mentioned nowhere in the Bible, is a "commandment" of men. It was only in the 4th century that 25 December was officially decreed to be the birthday of Christ, and it was another 500 years before the term Midwinter Feast was abandoned in favour of the word Christmas. . They even elected their own mock king who, for the period of the festival, ruled as a despot. Let us not think of the birth of Christ as a past event in history, but as an ongoing thing in our daily lives, as Christ is conceived in our lives as we, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, say “Behold, I am handmaiden of the Lord; may it be done unto me according to Thy Word”; and is thus birthed into our lives and the lives around us by our words and deeds – for that is what people hear and see from us. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:30-32 Deuteronomy 12:30-32 [30] Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? We are more than 40 young professionals from around the world, putting our gifts to the service of The Church. Yet, curiously, the Bible records nothing about the apostles or early Church observing Christmas. An instructive relic of the long struggle is preserved in our festival of Christmas, which the [Catholic] Church seems to have borrowed directly from its heathen rival. Greek Catholics and Roman Catholics believe the Mother of God is sinless. Dies Natalis, whence Fr. 418-419). United Church of God is a 501(c)3 organization. 21. Indeed the issue of the conflict between the two faiths appears for a time to have hung in the balance. Listen to songs that croon lines such as, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” and “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” and my point will be clearly seen. Christmas is preceded by the Season of Advent, a time of preparation, and the celebration of the Nativity itself is extended in the Christmas Season. American King James Version×). Every New Year begins with four weeks of Advent and these four weeks lead into the feast days of Christmas. A Catholic is a Christian who follows the Catholic religion as transmitted through the succession of Popes. $6.00. In this bundle, you will receive all three of my Catholic word wall resources. Catholics, as well as some Protestant denominations, celebrate mass at midnight. This Child is born for you and for me, and for every person. Because of this popularity, the traditions involved in the celebration of Christmas vary widely between religions and nationalities. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and also teaches Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC. Non-Catholic Christmas is like showing up to a birthday party and ignoring the person's birthday. If we listen and pay attention, we will hear her pulling on the sleeve of our shirt, telling us, as she told those in Cana, to “Do whatever He tells you to do.” For we so easily forget that we are “strangers in a strange land” only passing through, and we get comfortable. Let us be like John the Baptist and Elizabeth from Luke’s Gospel, who rejoiced at the Virgin Mary’s greeting, not because the Virgin Mary was the Virgin Mary, but because she was doing what she was supposed to be doing: Bringing Christ into the world. "Even then on the Continent the festival continued to show many features inherited from the Saturnalia. Jesus Himself might repeat to you what He said to the Pharisees, who considered their traditions and customs more important than obeying God's Word: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Liturgically, the Feast of Christmas is celebrated for twelve day. It is Easter, for that is where we celebrate the font of our salvation, the Cross of Christ, by which we are saved. All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics. There can be no doubt that the Mithraic religion [the worship of Mithra, the Persian sun god, popular in the Roman Empire] proved a formidable rival to Christianity, combining as it did a solemn ritual with aspirations after moral purity and a hope of immortality. The Nativity Scene. When I drive to Atlanta, I am not on I-20 for the sake of I-20, but because I-20 takes me to Atlanta. Advent is the season of the Church that precedes Christmas. 3, p. 418). A Catholic Christmas Story. Catholic Word Wall Bundle with Christmas and Easter. In particular, the Feast of Fools was a wild debauch reminiscent of the pagan past. With the lockdowns and economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic this year - buying our Christmas presents and cards from charities has never been more important - and shopping online certainly makes it safer and easier. YouTube. . Origin of the word. Sadly, for the bulk of modern Christianity these scriptures—which help define what true Christianity is and is not—mean very little. Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Christ Wasn't Born on Dec. 25, Christians Who Don't Celebrate Christmas: Here's Why, Good News Magazine: November - December 2004. [15] And what concord has Christ with Belial? Established around 220 B.C., this feast was originally celebrated on December 17. However, I will assume that “Christ” is crystally and clearly present in the word Christmas, so that we may know what is being celebrated this season: Christ. Why do some Christians not celebrate Christmas? This season begins on Christmas Eve, as Catholics rejoice in the Lord’s Birth on December 25th, and extends to the … In his article Saturnalia: The Reason We Celebrate Christmas in December, columnist Mark Whittington explains: If the suggestion were correct… If He died on March 25, He must also have been conceived on this date and thus have been born 9 months later on December 25. His findings on the ancient origins of our Christmas practices and customs are revealing: ". Riverbend Classroom. [17] Why come out from among them, and be you separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. For, if we do not, or, shall I say, if you do not, then perhaps you shouldn’t call it Christmas. We must remember what Christmas is – what is celebrated. What do evergreen trees, reindeer, mistletoe and yule logs have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? The motives for the innovation are stated with great frankness by a Syrian writer, himself a Christian. [31] You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Extending from Advent, which begins on 30 November or the Sunday nearest to it, to Candlemas Day on 2 February, it was close enough to the winter solstice to acquire many of the associations of the Norse ceremony: the Yule-log, the evergreen decorations in houses and churches, even the Christmas feast itself. It was a custom of the heathen to celebrate on the same twenty-fifth of December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 50 years, as a public speaker for 54 years, a published writer for 34 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. . The Origins of Santa Claus and Other Popular Christmas Traditions. hvoigt@css.edu. Several theories are offered in explanation. Unlike other western denominations who celebrate Christmas … One of the most useful liturgical texts at the priest’s disposal is the ordo. The Gospels say nothing as to the day of Christ's birth, and accordingly the early Church did not celebrate it. Soon people around the world will again be celebrating Christmas. His first advent was in a little town called Bethlehem, in a stable, for there was no room in the inn, where he was then wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Eventually the feast was extended to last an entire week, ending on December 23. We saw earlier that the Dec. 25 date for Christmas came from ancient pre-Christian festivals. [16] And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? The Pope is the leade… SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Christmas mass is provided as a service of NewsChannel 9 and the Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese.
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