A woman, tired from Christmas shopping and carrying a large number of bags, pushed the button for the elevator. When the door opened it appeared at capacity with other tired, package-laden shoppers, but they squeezed together to make enough room. “Whoever came up with all this ought to be put in jail,” she exclaimed. Others agreed.

And then a voice from the back of the elevator said, “Don’t worry. He already was put in jail and crucified.”

It’s a story that strikes to the heart of what we often forget amid preparations for Christmas. The holiest Christmas on earth was the first one in Bethlehem where Jesus our Savior was born and laid in a manger.

And so, every year, we hear messages about simplifying Christmas, trying to pry it from the materialistic jaws of the culture. My pastor recently noted in a homily that Jesus coming to Earth was the biggest rescue mission in all of history. And as such, knowing that he will come again, should fill us not with fear but with joy. He came once and brought us Christmas joy and he has promised to come again.

But in the meantime, how can we make Christmas holier, celebrating the love of Jesus becoming one of us, knowing that he would also suffer and die for us? Love of God, family and neighbor are the core of a holy Christmas.

All in for Christmas

“During Advent, a great yearning for God arose in my soul. My spirit rushed to God with all its might.” These words from St. Faustina’s diary (180) are an inspiration. They’re also an indictment that I might have spent too much time with the wrong preparations.

The only way I can do better during the Christmas season is to slow down, spend time with God, and reflect on the coming of our Savior. Even if our preparation for Christmas was frenzied, it’s never too late to pause and spend time with spiritual reflections and prayer.

It does seem that the best possible way to go deeper into Christmas is in the quiet holiness of adoration, right there with Jesus. When you can’t get to adoration or can’t get there as often as you would like, there are many chapels that offer virtual adoration 24/7.

Gift-Giving

Many people don't remember what they received the previous Christmas, and a significant amount of gifts are returned.

One year during clean-up week in our town, when people put things out on the curb, one of my sons found a box with Christmas wrapping on the outside and brand-new boots with the receipt on the inside. He took them back to the sporting goods store and exchanged them for a backpack.

Another time, I shopped an after-Christmas sale and bought a box of metal puzzles. I pulled it out during a car trip and found a $20 bill inside. Perhaps some grandma wondered why she never got a thank-you note from her grandchild for the surprise money slipped inside the gift. Instead of being opened, it had been returned and ended up on the sale table.

The tradition of gift-giving at Christmas is tied to the story of the magi who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus. Regardless of what other presents we might buy, we can also look for holy ways to give:

• Give to the poor. Give away things you actually like, not just your junk, so it’s from your heart, not your excess.
• Keep cash handy for spontaneous giving to someone on the street, someone struggling to pay at the register, or a family with young children in their cart who look like they would appreciate a surprise gift.
• If you go out to eat during the Christmas octave, surprise your server with a very generous tip.
• Support good Catholic causes.
• Cross Catholic Outreach is a ministry that provides food, shelter, medical care, water, education, self-help programs, care for orphans and emergency relief. You can find a variety of ways to bless the poor during the Christmas season.

As we strive to make our Christmas season holy, we can pray to the experts. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, show us the way!