For God so loved this world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16
What puts the Merry in Christmas? Is it next day shipping from Amazon? Is it free delivery after spending $100.00? Is it the Black Friday deals? Is it the buy one get one free offers? Is the the presents under the tree? The food on the table? The songs we sing? The movies we watch? The lights on our houses? The Church programs? The family we get to see again? What puts the Merry in Christmas?
Christmas: Christ means Anointed One, Mass means a large gathering. Christmas means a gathering for the Anointed One. Merry means Cheerful. A Cheerful gathering for the Anointed One. That is what the words: Merry Christmas mean. So lets ask the question again. What makes the gathering so Merry? Is it the things we buy or do or is it the Anointed One?
Well if it is the things you buy and do, then you are celebrating Santa Claus and winter. This is a worldly view of Christmas. Millions will go all out in decorations and know little to nothing about Jesus. Some may know Jesus and rejected Him. Still they will go out of their way to make a holly jolly Christmas this year. Others will know Jesus and still get swept away by the commercialism of the holiday. A few will be Grinch’s and remind us that we don’t really know when Jesus was born so the celebration is useless.
Few, and Jesus uses that word to describe His followers (Matt. 22:14) few will know and understand the meaning of Merry Christmas and the Merry for them is found in the Anointed One. On this First Day of Advent, as you light the candle, pause for a moment and ask yourself where does your merry come from. For God the Father, through His Spirit and Son did everything He could to make sure we would have a way to Him and eternal life.
Light the 1st Advent Candle
Holy Father, as we gather around the Advent Wreath and light the 1st candle, we pause for a moment to ask ourselves, from what do we find merry for this gathering of the Anointed One, Your Holy Son Jesus Christ. We confess all the things we have made this celebration in the past. This year Holy Father we want less of us, less of spending, less of the trappings from this world. This year we want more of You. This year we want to be mindful of this celebration and why we say the words :Merry Christmas. This year we want our hearts to rejoice in the Anointed One, the Christ, whom You sent to save us. This year we want a cheerful meeting to celebrate the Anointed One, Christ Jesus. Amen.