Christmas Trees and the Christ in You

I learned something new this past week in one of the daily devotionals from Father Richard Rohr of the Catholic Church. Up until the 13th century, the Church only celebrated Holy Week and Easter; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was the whole focus of the church up to that point. Then Father Francis came along.

Francis understood and believed deeply that, “In the beginning was the Word(the Christ)” and that all things that came into being came through him” (John 1: 1-3). Because of that belief, Francis thought the church should celebrate the birth of Jesus in addition to his resurrection from death. So it was that in the 13th century, the Christ Mass or, “Christmas” slowly came to be celebrated. 

Because all things came into being through the Word with God, Francis believed the image of God to be in all things, animate and inanimate – rocks and birds and animals and … trees. So it was that Francis also encouraged people to put lights in their trees at Christmas, celebrating the light of Christ in all things.

This Christmas Eve, along with the lights in our Christmas trees, we will all have a candle to be lit from the Christ Candle after we share Holy Communion together. We will lift our burning candles to “Silent Night,” celebrating the Light coming into the world again this Christmas. But I want you to know that we also lift our candles celebrating the Light – the Christ – within you, a light that was placed there by God from your very conception. You are the image of God and I for one will thank God for that joy to the world.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,