Merry Christmas to All

Your idea of Christmas is probably a combination of mangers and Santa Clauses. Somehow they have melded seamlessly in our culture. It is not unusual to walk into a home and find a creche and a tree, gingerbread men and wise men, shepherds and elves. Few seem to mind that together these images make no sense, but we mix them nonetheless.

As parents, raising children is a challenge. But children are amazingly resilient. They can process Santa Clauses and mangers with little or no effort. But sometimes the message behind the images gets lost in the vehicles used to communicate the message.

Children need to understand the real story of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus). It is a wonderful story that will warm the heart. They also need to understand the Incarnation that will not only warm the heart, but actually change it.

I hope you will take the time this Christmas season to appreciate the wonder of what we are celebrating. Enjoy all the bells and whistles, but go beyond the trimmings and celebrate the mystery and wonder that is awaiting rediscovery.