A campaign was started a few years ago in a bit of a response to the "Keep Christ in Christmas" campaign being promoted by many Christian organizations. The goal was to draw attention to the fact that "Christmas" is named for the "Christ Mass" - which is the celebration of Christ's birth. The earliest I have found in my own articles supporting the Christ Mass is 2003. Unfortunately, I cannot locate earlier archives (I started online apologetics for the Catholic Faith back in 1988). I am pleased to see many others are using the slogan of "The best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to keep Mass in Christmas." The point being is that where the non-Catholics using "Keep Christ in Christmas" are doing so in name only, whereas in the Mass, and especially the Christ Mass, the Real Presence of Christ is truly found in Christmas! Every Mass is Christ centered, with the Eucharist being the re-presentation of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the Cross - and the Christ Mass is celebrated in honor of His birth while not losing focus on why He was born. He was born to redeem the world, which He did in the week of His Holy Passion culminating on Good Friday. He ultimately arose victorious over sin and death on what we now celebrate as Easter Sunday.
An Episcopalian blogger named Holly responds to the "Keep Mass in Christmas" campaign (in 2012):
http://www.chicagonow.com/running-with-a-book-cart/2012/12/keeping-the-mass-in-christmas/
However, I was only mildly puzzled. Why is "Keep Mass in Christmas" a Catholics Come Home campaign? I know full well I'm one of the ones that they hope to persuade to go back to the Roman Catholic Church. What's the deal with Catholics Come Home, though? I already feel like I'm home. I'm still Catholic. We have Mass. And I feel like I can be a thinker AND a full member of the Church at the same time, which is nice. (Reasonable minds can disagree, obviously.) I also rather like hanging out with radical liberal feminist priests.It must be noted how Holly puts her own feelings over truth and even reality. No Holly, you're not "still Catholic," you're Episcopalian - which is a schism from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. You have what is "called" a "Mass," but it is not - as your priests lack the authority to validly consecrate the Eucharist into the real body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. We don't go to Mass just to "feel good" or to be a "free thinker." We go to Mass to worship and adore our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. I realize you "think" the Episcopalians have a "real presence" too - but thinking it does not make it so.
Holly continues:
Anyway. "Catholics Come Home" is a nice campaign, but admittedly, I don't foresee myself going back until they've made some fundamental changes to the church, which I don't see happening anytime soon.Look at what you have done, Holly. Look at what your cult has done (and I don't use the word "cult" in a disrespectful manner). Jesus didn't build the Anglican/Episcopal Church... He built the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Anglicanism changed things and the foundation of those changes are rooted in King Henry VIII who pleaded for the annulment of his marriage so that he could marry Ann Bolin. He, who only a few years earlier was declared by the Pope to be "Defender of the (Catholic) Faith," rejected the Catholic Faith for his own personal desires. One might say he wanted to be a "free thinker." Anglicanism lead the way to artificial contraception in 1930, which has lead to an acceptance of abortion by many "free thinking" and supposedly "Christian" churches. Anglicanism/Episcopalianism is a deterioration of the Catholic Faith. Likewise the acceptance of women priests (and primates) is a corruption of what Jesus Christ Himself founded upon the Twelve Apostles, our first "primates" (bishops). No, what needs to "change" is not the Catholic Church, but your expectations/demands. When you are ready to submit yourself to Christ and the authority He left in charge of His People, we will welcome you back with open arms and you can again celebrate the Real Mass with His Real Presence.
Catholic Memes (2013):
A Catholic response (2013):
CathApol Christ Mass Memes (2012):
A Catholic blogger in 2008 "Campaigns":
Another Catholic blogger in 2008:
Former Evangelical, then Anglican priest now Catholic priest, Fr. Longenecker wrote in 2008:
Even an Atheist site mentions the fact that Protestants, who argue for keeping Christ in Christmas, have already taken Mass out of Christmas (not dated, but referenced by Fr. Longenecker in 2008):
Conservative evangelical Christians complain about people taking the "Christ" out of Christmas, but they seem to forget that they have already taken the "Mass" out of Christmas (Mass being a service including Holy Communion). When was the last time a prominent figure on the Christian Right has argued that Americans should remember to attend Mass on this Holy Day? I've never seen it and I don't expect to ever do so. This is just one of many masses that have been excised from the season.
(I also think that this Atheist may have gotten at least some of his information from Steve Kellmeyer, see link below).
A Catholic blogger in 2006:
CathApol Blog article on the Christ Mass ( December 2005):
Steve Kellmeyer wrote this nice article on November 30, 2005:
ACTS article on St. Nicholas which also discusses the Christ Mass, December 6, 2003:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep in mind while posting:
1) Please respond ON TOPIC to the article at hand.
2) Posts more than 4 weeks old are set to automatically save new comments for moderation - so your comment may not show up immediately if you're responding to an older post.
3) The "Spam Filter" is on - and randomly messages get caught in that filter. I have no control over which messages get caught in the spam filter and those that do must wait for me to mark them as "not spam." A message caught by the spam filter may show up for a moment, making you think it posted, and then disappear. Do not assume I have deleted your comment, it's probably just the spam filter and it will show up.