It’s time to get back to Christmas tradition

In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi simply and joyfully commemorated the scene of the Nativity according to the infancy gospel, and the crib thus became one of the traditional and best-loved symbols of Christmas.

In the crib, we contemplate the one who stripped himself of divine glory in order to become poor, driven by love for mankind. The Christmas tree, with its lights, reminds us that with the birth of Jesus, the tree of life has blossomed anew in the desert of humanity.

The crib and the tree: precious symbols, which hand down the true meaning of Christmas.

Today, amid a politically correct and consumerist Christmas attitude, we are allowing ourselves to be stripped of our traditions, the dearest and most venerable, the oldest and sweetest, the truest and most beautiful, so that carelessly, through neglect, we are abandoning Christ to follow the latest futile fad.

A sensitive Christian would not let anything replace the crib and Christmas tree. Commemorating these means passing on the history of popular piety and religiosity.

In advancement of faith, family and fraternity, may we all strive to keep Christ in Christmas.

Paul Kokoski

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada