The feast of Christmas, the most human of our Holy Days, is only a few days away. This can be a very inspiring and uplifting feast for it encourages people to reach out to those most in need; to be at peace with oneself, with our families, and with our world. But, Christmas can also be very stressful, and few times are more stressful than the present when the threat of nuclear war seems to be a real possibility, and expectations are low or unattainable for many in today’s precarious economy. This, the fourth week of advent, is a good time to re-examine our expectations for Christmas just a few days away.

Often I have been approached by parents who have told me how drained they felt after Christmas. They had put so much time and effort into pleasing their children, buying them the latest toys, and doing everything they could to create the perfect family atmosphere, only to see it disintegrate in a flood of disappointments and tensions before their very eyes.

What can we do about this? How should we cope with this kind of tension at Christmastime?

My reaction to this kind of Christmas problem is to keep it simple. Don’t let the material trappings and glitter of Christmas distract you from its spiritual meaning which is love. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus who came into our lives and into our world without fanfare and worldly flashiness to show us how to love God and one another.

If you have love you don’t need anything else. If you don’t have love, nothing else really matters.

Let’s not forget what we’re celebrating! We are celebrating the fullness of love in the form of a little child who came down to earth to envelop us in the very love of God Himself. What can compare to the possession of this love which came to us wrapped in flesh and blood, and lived and died for us so we might experience new life.

So, don’t be afraid to keep it simple. That is what Christmas is all about!

I’ve had the pleasure of joining groups of families every year in the simplest of pleasures at Christmastime. One of these simple pleasures is the Posada, a Spanish custom of celebrating the birth of Jesus by getting little children to reenact the Bethlehem story. Some of the children would play the silent parts of the Holy Family; others would read the scripture readings by the light of candles with the gentle prompting of family members, of course, and all of them would sing the Christmas songs together, flashed up against a wall. Suddenly, when the enactment was over the children bounded to their feet, shouting fiesta ( feast and fun ), and we all joined in the festivities. It was all very, very simple, but it was a joyful celebration. The most enjoyable part of the celebration is ALWAYS people sharing, not just food, but themselves with one another. That’s Christmas!

A few more days, and it will be Christmas day. Remember what its about. Keep it simple, and spread the triple blessings of love, peace, and joy about you this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Fr. Hugh Duffy

The Perfect Gift!

What is This Thing Called FAITH?

Fr. Hugh Duffy’s latest book is available from Itasca Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and the Apple iBookstore in both paperback and eBook versions.