Christmas is my favorite holiday. The day represents the birth of Christ and, within my life and experience, that is an exceptional occasion to celebrate. It is because of Christ, and the blessing of a wonderful family, no matter the struggle, no matter the loss or the threat, I have never felt alone. Christ’s ideals, his philosophy, his teachings have always given me the ability to differentiate right from wrong and they have been the source of my guilt when I’ve not had the courage to follow the correct path… a wonderful motivator to try harder. Christ represents peace, love and happiness for all. I think I can sum up my faith with…
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Christmas to me is not a “holiday season”, it is a specific day that commemorates a very specific event, the birth of Jesus Christ. So for all who celebrate the day, Merry Christmas and the best of the Christmas season. For everyone else, I wish you happiness, good health and prosperity in the coming year and an enthusiastic celebration of your own special days. So why am I writing about something so personal in this public place and why am I flaunting the name Jesus Christ? Sometimes it is necessary to stick up for a friend by publicly acknowledging the association rather than remain silent while others diminish a good name.
Whatever happened between the days of being happy, smiling and wishing people Merry Christmas and these days of attempts to remove the word Christ from public view and turn Christmas into a generic winter holiday was not good. Perhaps we have just arrived back at a point where trust must be a rare commodity and the best decisions, thoughts and beliefs are those that we hold as individuals?
Merry Christmas and a truly Happy New Year.
Joe
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