Sean Rego ’26
Chief Opinions Editor
Despite what one might think, Christmas is more than just presents and snow and good Saint Nick. It is more than the songs about festivities and magic, more than parties and trees. Christmas is– at least by my reckoning– one of the most important holidays for all humanity, because it embodies the very things we all desire and desperately need: peace, love and hope.
Across the world Christians have begun preparing for the birth of our Savior. From our cozy homes of North America to the comforting heat of the Latin world to the indomitable cathedrals of Europe and the hundreds of millions of faithful witnesses in Africa, Asia and Oceania, Christendom in all its variations looks to Christmas as a stabilizing force in a constantly unstable world.
It can be so hard for us to find peace. I think of my family, who during Soviet rule seldom found peace amongst the wars and tyranny that rocked Eastern Europe in the 20th Century. State enforced atheism attempted to eradicate the solace that Christianity provided for the fettered masses. And yet, even in the darkest days of oppression– when speaking out against the State resulted in imprisonment or execution– the promise of Christmas gave us peace. Now, as the battle lines of the Russo-Ukrainian War draw ever closer to the River Dnieper, that same prayer of peace rings throughout the Slavic world, including for my family from Zaporizha to Riga.
We also can consider love, which is quite various in how it’s interpreted, but for Christmas, it isn’t just a simple love strictly between individuals, but a love that permeates throughout our entire community and world. It is ultimately a love that emanates from God, but it is shared throughout all man because of the Christmas story. At Holy Cross, we should always wish that our fellow students, faculty and employees feel that neighborly and familiar love.
Perhaps the most important message of Christmas is hope. No matter your background or circumstances, we all have hope for something better. We all yearn for a better future for not just ourselves, but our family and friends. The hope of Christmas, that one day oppression will cease and all will bask in the greatness of eternity is the final and ultimate aspiration of my faith. Hope has built nations and stories, and in its mightiest iteration, Christmas is the spark that lights the flame.
I know not everyone celebrates Christmas in a strictly religious way, but I do think we must remember those key aspects. For me, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem 2025 years ago remains just as important today. His birth is the start of an era– the Age of Grace– unmatched by any before it because we’ve been offered a sense of hope, peace and love that endures even in the most frightening circumstances. Beyond any other force, the love of God gives me hope that my imperfections and shortcomings can be overcome, whether in this life or the next. I know that for so many family, friends and nations, this has been the same case as well. Across the world, over two billion Christians continue to celebrate the birth of our Savior, who more than any present, song or party has gifted us peace, love and hope! For all across our globe, we wish you a very merry Christmas! He is born!
Featured image courtesy of The Catholic Sun
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