Friday, December 25, 2015

Homily: Christmas 2015 - Charlie Brown Christmas Lessons

 

Last week A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on national prime time television for the 50th year in a row. In a world where the latest greatest technology is outdated in a matter of months, and social media trends come and go in a matter of days, 50 years of anything becomes quite meaningful.
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, let me quickly summarize the plot.  “Fluffy white snowflakes tumbled from the sky onto a group of joyful children as they sang and laughed, skating on the frozen pond in town. Everyone was happy and full of holiday cheer. That is, everyone except for Charlie Brown.” Charlie Brown confides in his good friend Linus his dismay with the over-commercialization of Christmas and his inability to grasp what Christmas is all about.

In order to discover the true meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown decides to direct a Christmas play.  Charlie Brown gathers the children of the neighborhood for this Christmas play, but everyone seems to be more interested in dancing and modern music than discovering the real meaning of Christmas.  His friend Lucy suggests that what everyone needs is a big glitzy aluminum Christmas tree to get everyone in the proper Christmas spirit. 

We he arrives at the Christmas tree market, he zeroes in on this tiny sapling.  Upon returning to the Christmas play rehearsal, the kids laugh at the tiny tree, in a sense, laughing at Charlie Brown’s attempt to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Charlie Brown, characteristically loses his temper and yells, “Everything I do turns into a disaster. Isn’t there anyone who understands what Christmas is all about?”

A most unlikely voice of steps in to quell Charlie Brown's exasperation: Linus, who sucks his thumb and clings to his security blanket, steps into the spotlight and proclaims:

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men."

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

50 years ago, the network executives, told Charles Shultz, the creator of Charlie Brown, that the biblical passage from the Christmas Special was too overtly religious, and should be omitted.  But Charles Shultz, insisted, Linus’ Christmas proclamation must be kept in.  “If we don’t proclaim it, who will?” Shultz demanded.

Now fast forward 50 years.  Last week, in a rural Johnson County Kentucky, A Charlie Brown Christmas was performed by a public elementary school.  However, the school superintendent issued a memo directing area schools to avoid endorsing any particular religion in their holiday performances this year. Charlie Brown Christmas could be performed, but the key passage, the passage Charles Shultz saw as the most important passage in the play, Linus’ Christmas Gospel Proclamation, had to be omitted. Though many parents protested, the administration held their ground: no references to Christ this Christmas. 

So the night of the performance, last Thursday night, what happened? The school kids put on their performance, and when it came time for Linus’ big speech, audience began to proclaim in unison: “And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord.”

For many, commercialism has indeed replaced Christianity as the religion of our land.  Even many Christians are embarrassed about our celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ. But I think your presence here tonight, whether you are a weekly Mass goer, just come once a year, just wandered in off the street, or visiting grandma, we, like Charlie Brown, have a deep desire to discover and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. We know, deep down, that Christmas is not just about peppermint lattes, new ipads, sentimental secular songs, or even aluminum Christmas trees.

If we do not keep Christ in Christmas, who will? In our increasingly secular society, We must resist all the forces which seek to remove Christ, all those temptations to pray less, worship less, and give less.
There is another important detail from Charlie Brown Christmas which goes unnoticed even by people who have seen the show a dozen times.  In that climactic scene when Linus shares "what Christmas is all about," he begins his speech clutching his security blanket tightly.  But when he recites the angel’s words, “Fear Not!” he drops the blanket.

The message is clear: the birth of Jesus Christ frees us from our fears. The birth of Jesus frees us from the habits we are unable or unwilling to break ourselves. The birth of Jesus allows us to drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Him instead.

What is your security blanket? What does God want to help you let go of this Christmas? If Christmas is about refocusing on Christ, renewing your relationship with Christ, reorienting your life to Christ, what do you need to let go of, in order to cling to Him?

Once a Christian was asked by an atheist, “what do you gain by praying to God?” The Christian replied, “what do I gain? Nothing…but let me tell you what I lose…anger, greed, depression, insecurity, and the fear of death.” Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not gaining, but finding the ability to let go of the attitudes which keep us from peace and joy.  What does God want to help you let go of this Christmas?

Linus was able to let go of his security blanket a second time during the Christmas special.  Returning home from the play, Charlie Brown wished to decorate that meager little sapling of a Christmas tree, but when he placed a Christmas ornament upon the tree, the tiny tree, unable to support the ornament, bent in half. “I’ve killed it, everything I touch gets ruined” Charlie Brown exclaims.  But Linus, bends down, wraps his security blanket around the tree and says, “Maybe it just needs a little love.”
Linus teaches another deep Christmas lesson.  When we let go of our insecurity, then we are able to love more deeply.  We let go, in order to love. 

Let Go, and love Christ this Christmas.  Commit to clinging to Him today, and every day. Let him free you from your addictions, your worldly anxieties, your sins and your selfishness.  Commit to him through daily prayer, weekly mass, regular reading of Scripture, and charity and goodwill toward your fellow man, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.


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