Dear Parishioners,
While I was out grocery shopping one day, I eyed a display in
the store for some Christmas music. I
ventured down the aisle and picked up two CD’s—the first by a contemporary
artist, Michael Bublé, and the second
by an artist from the past, Perry Como. I purchased the two albums since I thought
I would enjoy listening to both artists.
On the way home, I popped a disc into the CD player in my car
and began to listen to the “Christmas” music.
The first song of Michael
Bublé’s album entitled Christmas was: It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. Next came, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, followed by, Jingle Bells, White Christmas, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Holly
Jolly Christmas, Santa Baby, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Finally when I reached song number 10 (of 15 on the album), I
actually heard something religious: Silent
Night!
I couldn’t believe that it took 10 songs before I arrived at a song that had anything remotely to
do with the actual reason for this holy day—the birth of Jesus Christ. Only one other song on the entire album had a
religious message, the Ave Maria. Incidentally, the pronunciation of the
Latin during this song was, I’m sad
to say, laughable. What a disappointment!
Thankfully, the album Christmas
with Perry Como (originally produced in 1968)
contained 7 songs (of the 10 on the album) of a religious nature. And at
least Perry Como sang with the proper
Latin pronunciation during the Ave Maria,
also found on this album.
Over the years, I have witnessed a continual movement in our
society away from things spiritual
and religious. Secular materialism is far too rampant and political correctness has become the norm. Happy
Holidays! Season’s Greetings! Merry
Xmas! How about Merry Christmas!
A few years ago I even received a letter from someone telling
me how I needed to be more inclusive
in my Christmas homily. I guess I should have put Hanukkah and Kwanza on par with the celebration of Christ’s birth—in a Catholic Church, no less!
I guess there will always be a struggle to “Christianize” the
world. That’s the mission of evangelization—to preach and teach the Good News of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
As we journey through Advent,
I hope and pray that Christ will
have a central place in our hearts and in our homes. Make sure that the Nativity scene becomes more prominent than Santa, Rudolph and Frosty in our Christian homes. Send religious
Christmas cards, not secular
ones! Wish people a Merry Christmas! Reduce the
number of material gifts!
The greatest gift
that we can ever receive or give is the gift of faith—faith in the Son of
God who became one of us!
Now there’s
something to sing about!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Amen. Jesus is the ONLY reason for the season
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