Let’s keep Christ out of Christmas too!

We are all used to hearing the rallying cry of “Keep Christ in Christmas” at this time of year. If we take our faith seriously and try to live as good Christians everyday, it is hard not to be overwhelmed during the Christmas season by the crass commercialism we see everywhere.

There are all the commercials telling us what we absolutely have to buy in order for the children in our lives to be happy. We see somewhat sappy commercials depicting the perfect family in the perfect house with the perfect Christmas tree and the perfect decorations opening the perfect presents. And of course there are all those commercials with the brand new luxury car in the driveway topped by the gigantic red bow. (Seriously—do you know anyone who has ever done that?)

According to a Rasmussen Reports national survey, an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that Christmas should be more about Jesus and less about Santa Claus, which is good news.

But what happens on December 26th? What do we do to keep Christ as our center the rest of the year? Do we say “Keep Christ in February 23rd or May 15th or October 9th?

St. Augustine wrote that “our hearts are restless until they rest in him.”  This year take a few minutes out of your Christmas celebrations to plan ways to keep Christ out of Christmas too! We need him every minute of every day, not just at Christmas time.

Try this simple prayer from St. Patrick each day:
Christ be beside me,
Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me,
King of my heart.

Christ be within me, 

Christ be below me, 

Christ be above me, 

never to part. 


Christ on my right hand, 

Christ on my left hand, 

Christ all around me, 

shield in the strife. 


Christ in my sleeping, 

Christ in my sitting, 

Christ in my rising, 

light of my life. 


Christ be in all hearts thinking about me; 

Christ be on all tongues telling of me; 

Christ be the vision in eyes that see me; 

in ears that hear me, Christ ever be.

Merry Christmas from Compass Catholic Ministries!