One of the surprises in my life as I get older is my openness to sources that I never would have considered in my young adulthood. I grew up before Vatican II and in a culture where most Catholics didn’t believe Baptists were true Christians, and most Baptists thought Catholics could not be saved. But a lot has changed in Catholic/Protestant relations and in my own spiritual growth.
I am pleased to point you to Catholic writings with which I fully agree. A great example is the following speech given by Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput at the Orange County Prayer Breakfast in Garden Grove California today (December 7, 2006). It is entitled “Seeing Clearly”.
You should read the entire speech: Seeing Clearly by Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, and to entice you to do so, here is a sample.
“I began by talking about Christmas. Who owns it? Why are we supposed to be happy? What are we really celebrating?
Good will, joy, peace, harmony, the giving of gifts – these are beautiful and holy things deeply linked to Christmas. But not to Santa Claus. And especially not to a politically correct, secular Santa Claus. Joy is not generic. Good will needs a reason. We don’t suddenly become generous because the radio plays Jingle Bells.
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is the messiah of Israel, the only Son of God, the Word of God made flesh. We believe that He was born in poverty in Bethlehem in order to grow and preach God’s kingdom, and suffer, die and rise from the dead – all for the sake of our redemption, because God loves us. Christmas is a feast of love, but it’s God’s love first that makes it possible. Christmas begins our deliverance from sin and death. That’s why St. Leo the Great called it the “birthday of joy.” What begins in the stable ends in our salvation. That’s why we celebrate Christmas, and it’s the best and only reason the human heart needs.”
(hat tip to Hugh Hewitt)
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