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Christmas
The history of the celebration of Christmas - the birth of Lord
Jesus
The word Christmas comes from the archaic
English term 'Cristes maesse' meaning the Mass
of Christ.
December 25 is celebrated by Catholics
and Protestant
Christians worldwide as the day of Christmas. However, the exact
date of Lord Jesus' birth has never been pinpointed. Historically,
the day has been celebrated since the year 98 A.D. In 137 A.D.,
the Bishop of Rome ordered the day to be celebrated as a solemn
feast.
Later in 350 A.D., another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December
25 as the day of observance of Christmas.
Orthodox Christians all over the world
celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 7. Orthodox Christianity
follows the older, Julian calendar, which lags the more widely
used Gregorian calendar by thirteen days. This accounts for the
difference in the day of celebration of Christmas between Orthodox
and other Christian denominations.
Spiritual importance of December 25
One may ask the question, "If Lord
Jesus was not born on December 25, why is the date still considered
spiritually significant and sacred?" The reason for this
is that the devotion of people on this day over the ages has itself
contributed to a rise in purity of this day, thus making it ideal
to celebrate Christmas.
Significance of Christmas
The primary reason for Lord Jesus'
birth was to bring about the spiritual growth of society. Hence,
while Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Lord Jesus,
it also signifies the birth of a spiritual awakening within
each of us, which prompts one to renew the efforts to do daily
spiritual practice and grow spiritually. Lord Jesus showed
us by self-example that the way to experience oneness with God
was through total surrender to God's will, even in the face
of death.
The meaning of Jesus' birth in a stable
The fact that Lord Jesus, Who was referred
to as 'the King' due to His high spiritual stature, was born
in the humble conditions of a stable, carries an inherent message
for seekers. It is a reminder that the Kingdom of God, that
is, salvation or the Final liberation is attained by the 'meek
and the humble', those who are devoid of ego.
It reiterates that one's external circumstances have no relevance
in experiencing God's kingdom. Thus, a materially poor or rich
person, who may have a lot of ego, would be far from experiencing
the kingdom of God, whereas a poor or wealthy person with less
ego would be much closer to God.
Spiritual growth is bestowed upon the
seeker who sacrifices his mind, body and wealth to attain God.
Apostle Paul said, "For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty
might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9). The implied
meaning behind this is:
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'Though He was
rich' implies that Jesus was rich spiritually. |
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'yet
for your sake He became poor' implies that He lived a life
of total detachment to material possessions. |
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'that
you through His poverty might become rich' implies that
through His example of living a life of total detachment
to material possessions would show us how to gain spiritually. |
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