Pastor's Desk
Put the “Mass” Back in Christmas
By Pastor Neil Wehmas
That time of the year is upon us again. It is time for our annual celebration of Christmas. We celebrate that incredible reality that God became human flesh. The reality that the one who spoke everything into existence became a little itty-bitty baby lying in a manger. This He did all for you.
However, what tends to come with the Christmas season is a number of culture wars. Someone says, “Happy X-Mas”, people will argue that they are X-ing out Christ. When truthfully the X is a reference to the first Greek letter for Christ. It is an abbreviation developed by medieval Christians. Some will get upset over “Happy Holidays”, the word “Holiday” is a compound word that literally means “Holy Days”.
It was in truth, Christians began the Happy Holidays greeting. This was due to the multitude of Holy Days that land around this time of the year. From December 17th until January 6th, the church calendar contains the following “Holy Days” or “Holidays”: Daniel the Prophet (Dec. 17), Adam & Eve (Dec. 19), Katharina von Bora Luther (Dec. 20), St. Thomas (Dec. 21), Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), St. Stephen (Dec. 26), St. John (Dec. 27), Holy Innocents (Dec. 28), King David (Dec. 29), New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), Circumcision & Name of Jesus (Jan. 1), J. K. Wilhelm Loehe (Jan. 2), The Epiphany of Our Lord (Jan. 6).
For those of you keeping count at home, that is 14 holidays in less than four weeks. “Happy Holidays” is a simple way of sharing a greeting of well wishes to fellow Christians for all of the days that are to come.
During this time of the year, you might also hear people say, “Put the Christ back into Christmas.” This is a fine statement indeed. With all of the movies, TV shows, get-togethers, meals, gift-giving, and decorations, it is so very easy to let the promise of the Christ be lost in the season.
However, it is here where we come to the title of this article, “Put the ‘Mass’ back in Christmas”. The holiday is called “Christmas” not only because we focus upon the good news of Jesus Christ, hence “Christ” in Christmas. It is also because we are spend these days in worship.
We gather together with other Christians to sing hymns of praise unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We gather to hear his scriptures, especially Luke 2 and John 1. We gather for hear the word proclaimed in Law and Gospel. That God became human flesh in the person of Jesus to redeem us sinners. We gather for prayer in the name of Jesus to God the Father. We gather to keep the “Mass” in Christmas. We gather for the Lord’s Supper.
It is such a humbling and incredible truth, that the God who spoke everything into existence is the same one in the manger. The one in the manger is the one who went to the cross for you and for me. The one who spoke everything into existence, was laid in the manger, and was crucified for you and for me, He gives himself to us in the bread and wine. For it the body and blood which was born and crucified for you and me, is in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. This meal is a mystery so profound, and yet so humbling. We receive God for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith in simple bread and simple wine.
It is for this reason that we not only keep the Christ in Christmas, but we make sure to keep the Mass in Christmas. For in Christ’s means of grace: proclamation of the word, holy baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, we keep Christ in us and our lives. There is nothing more important than this at Christmas or any other time of the year.
A blessed Christmas all of you.
Pastor Neil
Last Updated: 12/6/2024