Keeping the "mas" in Christmas

We're still in the twelve days of Christmas, right? From Know Tea:

So many people tell us every year to "keep Christ in Christmas." How about keeping the "mas" in Christmas?

"Christmas" is "Christ's Mass." Christ's Eucharist. Christ's Holy Communion Service. Christ's Lord's Supper Service. Whatever the terminology of your particular tradition may be, the Communion Service in honor of Christ's birth is Christmas. How many radio announcers have you heard this year telling you that "Christmas is all about giving" or "Christmas is all about the children" or something like that. Have you heard anyone say "Christmas is about the Eucharist"? I didn't think so.

When I was in seminary, just a few days before we got out for Christmas break, I remember a fellow student asking me what I usually did on Christmas Eve. I told him the highlight of Christmas Eve for me was the midnight Eucharist at the Cathedral in Birmingham. He looked surprised: genuinely surprised. He said, "Really? It would never occur to me to go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day." Now it was my turn to be surprised. I asked him if he went to church on Easter. "Of course," he replied. "Then why not on Christmas?" I asked.

Christmas has become Family Day for Evangelical Christians. They may talk about Christ's birth, but they do it in private, not with a congregation, and the Lord's Supper doesn't fit into the picture at all.

Read the whole post here.