From what I was taught there was never a competition between a pagan celebration and a Christian celebration. Keeping in mind that in that time most people were illiterate and there were no means of communication (no newspaper, no radio, no TV, no internet...), the first Christians needed some ways to transmit Jesus’ message. In 1 B.C. St Paul wrote that Christians should live with pagans (work with them, eat with them, laugh with them, cry with them, celebrate with them...) in order to win as many people as they could. Therefore, the Primitive Church always took advantage of the pagan celebrations to enhance them by deepening their meanings. Pagans celebrated the rising Sun on the winter solstice, which they set on the 25th of December. The Sun reaches its lowest annual altitude in the sky and since then starts to rise to bring life to the Northern Hemisphere (because there aren’t any crops without sun and we need food to survive). This situation fits right in with several prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament [Isaiah 60 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone...Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you.” Malachi "There will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays."] and with some metaphors in the Gospels [Luke 1:78-79 Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."] Jesus is likened to the sunrise because just like the sun provides life for us Jesus brings us the peace, which leads to the happiness and to the eternal life. So by Christianizing this pagan celebration the primitive church didn’t mean to delete (erase) it but to take the most of it to teach the new faith and to add a transcendental meaning. Thank you for reading my comment. I wish you a merry Christmas.
The Christmas tree is an ancient custom that exalts the value of life because the evergreen tree remains unchanged through the harshness of winter. The tree of life is a figure of Christ, God's greatest gift to all men, and as a symbol of that, gifts are arranged under the tree. The gifts exchanged at Christmas should not be purely material and commercial. The tree of life points the way toward an exchange of spiritual goods: of brotherhood and love. (I’ve written this summary from an angelus audience with Pope John Paul II)
From what I was taught there was never a competition between a pagan celebration and a Christian celebration. Keeping in mind that in that time most people were illiterate and there were no means of communication (no newspaper, no radio, no TV, no internet...), the first Christians needed some ways to transmit Jesus’ message. In 1 B.C. St Paul wrote that Christians should live with pagans (work with them, eat with them, laugh with them, cry with them, celebrate with them...) in order to win as many people as they could. Therefore, the Primitive Church always took advantage of the pagan celebrations to enhance them by deepening their meanings. Pagans celebrated the rising Sun on the winter solstice, which they set on the 25th of December. The Sun reaches its lowest annual altitude in the sky and since then starts to rise to bring life to the Northern Hemisphere (because there aren’t any crops without sun and we need food to survive). This situation fits right in with several prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament [Isaiah 60 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone...Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you.” Malachi "There will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays."] and with some metaphors in the Gospels [Luke 1:78-79 Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."] Jesus is likened to the sunrise because just like the sun provides life for us Jesus brings us the peace, which leads to the happiness and to the eternal life. So by Christianizing this pagan celebration the primitive church didn’t mean to delete (erase) it but to take the most of it to teach the new faith and to add a transcendental meaning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my comment.
I wish you a merry Christmas.
Thank you for sharing your views with us!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your views with us!
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas tree is an ancient custom that exalts the value of life because the evergreen tree remains unchanged through the harshness of winter. The tree of life is a figure of Christ, God's greatest gift to all men, and as a symbol of that, gifts are arranged under the tree. The gifts exchanged at Christmas should not be purely material and commercial. The tree of life points the way toward an exchange of spiritual goods: of brotherhood and love. (I’ve written this summary from an angelus audience with Pope John Paul II)
ReplyDelete