The true "War on Christmas" (First Sunday of Advent, Year A)

There is a billboard just outside the Jersey entrance to the Lincoln tunnel that is getting a lot of attention. It shows the three wise men following a star and the words: "You KNOW it's a myth. This season, celebrate reason."

This billboard and others like it were erected by a group calling itself Atheist Americans. It has several people upset and others all worked up. Certain radio personalities see this as more proof that there is an orchestrated "War on Christmas."

The odd thing is, both groups are right. The story of the wise men visiting the Christ Child is a myth. But a myth is not a made-up fairy tale. A myth, in theological terms, is a special story that gives meaning and purpose to people's lives. Myths may be based on historical facts or not. That is secondary to the meaning the story gives.

Myths use poetic or symbolic language to convey deeper truths that cannot be expressed in purely scientific terms. If I tell you "I am very sad" that may be scientifically accurate, but saying "My heart is broken" is closer to the truth, although no x-ray will show a literally broken heart.

Atheists claim there is no scientific proof for the existence of God. But what scientific proof is there for the existence of love? Or forgiveness? Or mercy? We know these exist because we experience them; we feel them; they fill our hearts with hope. Such it also is with God.

The Christmas story celebrates all these things in human flesh. The story of the three wise men teaches that love, forgiveness and mercy are intended for all people and everyone can find them, if they seek them with open hearts. And if you don't believe in that, you are truly a sad person who deserves our pity more than our anger.

But then, what of the so-called Christians who are convinced there is a so-called War on Christmas? These well-meaning but misguided souls are right, but for the wrong reasons. An atheistic billboard is not an attack on Christmas. Stores putting up signs that say "Happy Holidays" is not a war on Christmas. The government forbidding a Nativity set on federal property is not an attack on Christmas.

If anything, atheistic billboards and the government should remind us of just how precious the freedom of religion is and how it needs protection.

No, the real war on Christmas is going on every day when shoppers knock each other down and trample people to get at the bargains. The real war on Christmas is when we are so busy decorating our homes and going to parties and wrapping last minute gifts we don't have time to listen to friends who feel alone, or sick or depressed. The real war on Christmas happens when we stop acting like Christians.

And so we come to the First Sunday of Advent, a time of waiting and warning. If there's one thing Americans hate doing and do very poorly is wait. We want immediate action and instant gratification. But Advent reminds us somethings cannot be rushed, no matter how much you want them right away, like the birth of a baby.

And the gospel gives us a warning not to become too attached to this present world, because it can and will all change in an instant. Lighting the first Advent candle will not make the daylight return, but it will help dispel the growing darkness until it does.

Sometimes, as people of faith, the only thing we can do is wait. And watch. And pray. We pray for atheists, that they may soon see the true light. And we pray for believers, that their eyes do not become too accustomed to the darkness.

And we wait with open hearts for the day when the world once again gives birth to love, forgiveness and mercy. Two thousand years ago a Child was born and our world forever changed. May the light from that "myth" guide our lives and the lives of all men and women everywhere until the end of time.

Reporting for duty! The Feast of Christ the King (Nov. 21, 2010)

There was once a king who ruled a large kingdom with justice, peace and prosperity. Many men proudly served their king as loyal and brave knights. One knight, Sir Dexter, was the bravest of all. He set out to defend the kingdom. When he did not return for several months, the king became worried. Finally after more than a year's absence, Sir Dexter returned. On foot. His horse was dead. His suit of armor was all dented. His lance was broken. He had two black eyes. And his head, arms and legs were covered with bruises.

"Sir Dexter!" the king exclaimed. "What in God's name happened to you?"

"Your majesty," the knight said after catching his breath. "I am back from doing battle with your enemies all along your western border."

The king was confused and said, "But I don't have any enemies on the western border."

The knight replied. "Well, you do now."

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of our liturgical year and the goal towards which every Sunday of the year points. Indeed, for people of the Christian faith, the kingship of Christ is the ultimate goal of human history and of the entire universe.

We believe that on the Last Day, a trumpet shall sound and all the dead shall be raised and brought before Christ, our God and king, to be judged. And like Sir Dexter in the opening story, we will appear with all our bruises and battle scars before Christ who will judge us not so much by how many Masses we attended or rosaries we said or how well we understood the Bible. Rather, our lives will be judged on whether, by our words and actions, we made people friends or enemies of God's kingdom. Did we draw people to God or drive them from God? Did we show by our actions that love is stronger than hate, that forgiveness is mightier than hurt, that mercy is more powerful than revenge? Or did we imitate the ways of the world?

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and announced, "My kingdom is not of this world," he didn't just mean his kingdom does not have geographical borders, but rather that the values of the kingdom of God are not things this world respects or recognizes. The weapons used by defenders of God's kingdom are not those used by defenders of this world.

In the kingdom of God, you do not destroy an enemy by hating, much less by killing him or her. That just succeeds in making more enemies. Our weapons are humility, and truth, and honesty and service.

On the other hand, we cannot long use the weapons of this world: exploitation, cheating, deception, lying and violence without becoming like this world. If we become like this world, we cannot expect the kingdom of God to advance in our hearts, much less on this earth.

The Romans nailed Jesus to a cross not just to punish him but to warn us, his followers, of what will happen to any who dare oppose the empire by following Christ. And above his head they hung a sign with the initials I.N.R.I. (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).


Today we boldly lift high the cross of Christ as a warning to empires: your power is finished, your reign has ended, your days are numbered. The final victory is Christ's. Yet the spiritual war continues.

The battle is not waged on some distant border against a distant foe. The spiritual warfare in which we are engaged goes on everyday in the battlefield of our own hearts and minds and souls.

On this great feast of Christ the King, let us redouble our efforts to do good and avoid evil. If we have bad habits, let us renew our resolve to break them. If we have sins, let us repent and confess them. Let us show everyone we meet how great our God is. Let us make friends for God while we can.

And let us look to that day when we will all stand before the throne of God as allies of Christ on earth. And if the king says, "I didn't know I had any allies on earth," we can proudly claim, "You do now."