On December 25, we celebrate the earthly birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ; this birth is the central event of salvation history, because the one who was born “is not only one of us, but truly God and truly man in one person,” emphasized the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (MKPK) in a statement sent to MTI about Christmas.
They reminded that Pope Julius I declared December 25 as the day of Jesus’ birth in 350. Symbolically, the new feast marks the birthday of Jesus, the light of the world.
Among Christmas customs, they highlighted the nativity play and the Christmas tree.
The nativity play depicts the birth of Jesus and the events in Bethlehem through dramatic enactment. The first crib was set up by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 in a church in Greccio.
The nativity scene helps us understand the mystery of Christmas, illustrating the humility and merciful goodness of the divine child, “who, though rich, became poor for us,” the statement said.
Christmas brings joy and peace to all who, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, listen to the angel’s words: “This will be the sign: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger,” the statement noted.
They also pointed out that the Christmas tree is “a symbol of God’s giving love.” German Protestants first placed Christmas trees in their homes in the 16th century. Its evergreen represents eternity, its triangular shape symbolizes the Holy Trinity, and its branches recall the cross.
“The star on top of the tree expresses that the home where the Christmas tree is set up becomes like the Bethlehem cave over which the star stopped, pointing to the newborn Jesus.”
December 25, Christmas, is an intimate celebration of the family. The Christmas table surrounded by family members symbolizes the altar for the faithful and represents the unity and togetherness of the family.
“The feast is an opportunity to recognize and accept God’s love for all people, which shines through the coldness of the Bethlehem night and transforms it into intimacy,” the statement said.
They added that gifts and decorations can indeed make the celebration more intimate, “but do we still have enough time to reflect on what Christmas truly means: the birth of Jesus? Will we hear Jesus’ teaching, showing us the power of stillness? Do we understand that in our noisy world, a quiet presence often speaks louder than words?”
They quoted Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Dilexi te: “Jesus was born in humble circumstances. (…) He appears not only as the poor Messiah before the world but also as the Messiah of the poor.”
“Do we notice and, as far as we can, help our fellow humans in need, to whom the Savior came so close even as a newborn?” the MKPK asked in its statement.
(MTI)
Photo: Yvette Frank
