Bishop Gerald Wilkerson's Christmas Message

Christmas is about Christ. By keeping him in the forefront of the Christmas season, we can truly celebrate the greatest gift of God — the gift that will never disappoint.

If asked what Christmas means, the average person would probably give a sentimental answer: “Christmas is for children,” or “Christmas is about giving.” In the long slide down the slippery slope of secular culture, these sentiments are now applied to “the holidays” in a general sort of way and the word Christmas is suppressed, along with any lingering religious content that the word might carry with it.

In the hearts of believers, however, Christmas is and always has been a celebration of the birth of the Savior. It is a time we hold sacred because it is about the Lord whom we love. It is the feast of his Incarnation. It is a celebration of the mystery of God becoming a man, so that human beings could share in the life of God.

The season of Christmas includes both the Nativity and the Epiphany. The Nativity centers on Jesus’ birth and the events immediately surrounding it. The Epiphany in turn celebrates three episodes of his early public manifestation: the visit of the magi, the baptism of the Lord, and the first miracle of Jesus—at the wedding at Cana, when he changed water into wine.

The Christmas season is a time when we retell some of our most cherished stories as a faith community. Not only do Christians mediate upon the marvelous infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke, they also see in these stories rich symbols of Christ’s identity. He is the suffering Messiah; the ox and the ass of the manger scene symbolize Jews and Gentiles alike “feeding” at the trough of divine revelation; and the Holy Family’s search for shelter dramatizes the personal faith question, Who will take Christ into their homes and make him welcome?

The Christmas mystery serves as a touchstone for deeply held values of the Catholic community. Angels sing to shepherds, and we hear a message of peace delivered to the poor of every time and place. Herod slaughters the innocents, and believers grieve the senseless death of children. The magi follow a star to seek a king, and a Church rejoices in the journey of faith and the progress of all human knowledge and science in the service of truth.

Christmas is about Christ. By keeping him in the forefront of the Christmas season, we can truly celebrate the greatest gift of God — the gift that will never disappoint.

— Bishop Gerald Wilkerson