Even if the kids fall asleep, keeping Mass in Christmas is the best way to keep Christ there, local pastors say.Metro Detroit — Amid the countless holiday television commercials, inflatable Santa Claus lawn decorations and Christmas music playing on the radio since before Black Friday, the actual reason for the season seems all but lost.
However, priests and religious around Southeast Michigan are determined to get past the materialization of the holiday, and bring back the true spirit of Christmas.
A billboard at Woodward and Interstate 94 in Detroit reminds motorists of the reason for the season Dec. 4. The Michigan Knights of Columbus bought 10 such billboards around the Metro area for the remainder of the year.Going beyond sentimentality
Fr. Robert Slaton, associate pastor of Our Lady on the River Parish in Marine City, said today’s culture has become significantly less religious, and is content to hold onto the “small, warm and fuzzy traditions” for the sake of sentimentality.
Fr. Slaton referenced the 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche — who famously said “God is dead” — explaining that though Nietzsche supported the work of his colleagues in promoting atheism, he criticized them for wanting to keep the small, cultural traditions of religion.
“Our society is trying to push Christ out of Christmas at the lowest possible cost,” he said. “They want the holiday, the memories, the goodwill, the gift giving and the boom in the economy. But they want to get rid of the notion of the entire ‘center’ of Christmas, which is the coming of Christ.”
Remembering Advent
In the December 2013 Monroe vicariate newsletter, Fr. Michael Woroniewicz, Monroe vicar and pastor of St. Gabriel Parish in Ida, addressed the often-overlooked season of Advent.
“In the old days, Advent was a solemn time, quite similar to Lent in that there was fasting and penance in preparation for Christmas,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, we have lost our perspective on the observance of Christmas as a season. And just as unfortunately, we have lost the true meaning of the Advent season.”
At the end of the column, Fr. Woroniewicz offered some practical advice for properly living the season of Advent.
He suggested owning an Advent wreath and lighting the respective candles with a short prayer before a main meal, or setting up a tree with Advent symbols of Old Testament prophesies — popularly called a Jesse tree — instead of prematurely decorating a Christmas tree.
Quiet time before Christmas
Sr. Christina Marie Kazimirek, CSSF, a Felician Franciscan Sister in Livonia, suggested “entering into a quieter time before Christmas through the season of Advent.”
She offered practical ways to live out the spirit of Advent, including purchasing and lighting the candles of an Advent wreath, taking time as a family during the week to reflect on the Sunday Scriptures, and sending out “’real’ Christmas cards — with the Nativity on the front.”
“I converted to Catholicism when I was 24,” said Sr. Kazimirek, who is originally from Canada. “The first time I went to a Catholic Church for Christmas midnight Mass, it opened the doors for me in understanding what Christmas is really about.”
Christmas as a liturgical season
Fr. Loren Connell, OFM, said he has no problem with people celebrating the non-religious tradition of “winter solstice,” but “just don’t call it Christmas!” he said.
“Many people don’t realize that the actual Christmas season lasts until the Sunday after Epiphany in January,” said Fr. Connell, who is administrator of St. Aloysius Parish and St. Patrick Parish in Detroit. These parishes have a special Christmas tradition of their own on Dec. 24, which is known locally as Christmas Mass for the Motor City.
The Mass this year will be at 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s, and the “Mass for the Motor City” music setting is an original one composed by St. Aloysius music director Aaron Kaleniecki for the New Roman Missal revisions in 2011.
‘Happy Holidays’ vs. ‘Merry Christmas’
“We have allowed God to be removed from the public square for a generation,” said Msgr. Anthony Tocco, pastor of St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills. “We have clearly allowed Christ to be taken out of Christmas.”
Msgr. Tocco said that today, “the greeting is ‘Happy Holidays’ … even Christians are afraid that they might offend someone if they say ‘Merry Christmas’ anywhere but in church.”
At his parish, a giving tree for those in need is placed in the gathering space, but it doesn’t stop there. From offering the traditional “Festival of Lessons and Carols” in mid-December, to offering an Advent evening of reflection earlier in the month, they work to encourage the correct spirit of the Advent and Christmas seasons.
Gradual shift to secularism
“There’s been a cultural shift from the centrality of Christ in our lives,” said Sr. Maria Gemma, OP, of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor. “Secularism crept in so gradually … like the analogy of the frog in a pot of water that’s gradually brought to boiling.”
Sr. Gemma recommended finding special spiritual reading during the Advent season to prepare for the coming of Christ, such as “The Reed of God” by 20th century lay Catholic writer Caryll Houselander.
“Christmas is about God’s redeeming, merciful love, that God sent his son into our world to redeem our sins,” she said. “That’s the message of Christmas, but we forget because of the presents and trinkets. But God never forgets us.”
Christmas Mass
Whether you attend Mass regularly or you haven’t visited a church in a while, participate in the most important part of the holiday by attending Christmas Mass. Many parishes have advertised their Christmas services in the pages of this “Spirit of Christmas” edition. For the rest, visit www.aod.org.
