Priest says there's no Santa during Epiphany Mass!

[OutinChgoburbs]

Okay, it wasn’t prudent.

But.

I just had to suffer through our Deacon homilizing about how good it is to believe in Santa…and that’s what Christmas is about (more or less). Even my MIL was offended which is saying a lot. And a few years earlier a priest went on about how wonderful it is that “the Spirit of Santa Claus” is with us at the holidays. That’s the kind of stuff that confirms my decision to downplay Santa with my boy.

Maybe we can all agree that Santa just doesn’t belong in a homily, period? I am one of Santa’s biggest fans, as you can tell from my blog. Yet, I do not think he should be in the homily. There is more than enough stuff to put in the homily than Santa, Baba Noel, Befana, and Father Christmas.

 

[samcarter14]

Chicago, you make good points.

Now, as an un-Santa parent, may I make a request of all Santa parents and other adults? PLEASE stop asking my children during the Christmas season what Santa is going to bring them. If you have children with you, you risk my kids saying, “Um…Santa doesn’t come to our house,” and thus confusing your own children; and you confuse the littler ones I have. It’s not a big deal, but it is irritating how many people assume everybody celebrates Christmas with Santa.

So, let’s make a deal. Everyone else stop asking my kids what Santa brought them, and my kids and myself will continue to refrain from enlightening the masses.

 

[basilisk]

Gosh, thanks 'Burbs.

And to mizznicole, yes, it’s obviously possible to go WAY too far the other way. When you replace Jesus with Santa, from the pulpit no less, that is WRONG WRONG WRONG! 'Burbs is right… let’s just leave Santa out of the homily altogether.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Chicago, you make good points.

Now, as an un-Santa parent, may I make a request of all Santa parents and other adults? PLEASE stop asking my children during the Christmas season what Santa is going to bring them. EXCELLENT! I have friends who do not do Santa, and I am very careful with their kids as a result. And I have Jewish and a couple Hindu friends who do not celebrate Christmas at all, not even secularly. It’s just plain rude to bring up a party or event, if you will, that is not going to happen to somebody else.
So, let’s make a deal. Everyone else stop asking my kids what Santa brought them, and my kids and myself will continue to refrain from enlightening the masses. Works for me! You got a deal.

 

[basilisk]

So, let’s make a deal. Everyone else stop asking my kids what Santa brought them, and my kids and myself will continue to refrain from enlightening the masses.

Ah… we have reached detente!

Agreed!

 

[yellowbird]

I agree 100% with Chicago - there is nothing wrong with young children believing in Santa and shame on the Priest for spoiling the fun.

I would hope that all the un-Santas would have the good sense to keep their “whole truth and nothing but the truth” to themselves. Next thing I know you’d be telling my 3 year old that she ISN’T actually a princess or that my very uncoordinated 6 year old won’t grow up to play professional baseball? Good grief!

 

[Light_Seeker]

Next thing I know you’d be telling my 3 year old that she ISN’T actually a princess or that my very uncoordinated 6 year old won’t grow up to play professional baseball? Good grief!

 

[gmarie21]

Next thing I know you’d be telling my 3 year old that she ISN’T actually a princess or that my very uncoordinated 6 year old won’t grow up to play professional baseball? Good grief!

But she IS a princess (as all females are) and your son (and all males) are princes. Since God is King and we are His children, by logic and definitions we are all princes and princesses.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I did feel lied to when I found out Santa wasn’t real. And I felt tricked. As a child, I was so convinced he was, had letters and went online to track him and everything. And I did feel stupid when other kids told me that it’s really the parents who did it. It also made sense to me. I mean, Santa’s signature looked an awful lot like my mother’s when I thought about it. I was eight at the time.

I would tell my kids that Santa was a story and that other families may choose to celebrate with Santa (so don’t kill their joy). But I won’t celebrate with Santa. St. Nick and Santa are two different things. I mean, why is it so bad for kids to know that their parents bought them presents? I don’t think it means that they have no imagination or what have you.

But as a young child, I was sensitive to poor kids, knowing that they didn’t get Christmas presents (or they did, but not like my friends and I did growing up). I thought Santa was cruel if he did exist, and that he only bought presents for kids whose families could afford it. I mean, I did buy things for charity events to give to poor children but I wondered about the millions of kids in places of extreme poverty (I seriously did, my mother thought I worried way too much about that as a kid) and it also killed any belief in Santa.

I don’t have a problem with other families believing and celebrating Santa, but to me, Santa (not St. Nicholas but Santa as we know him) seems to be a symbol of consumerism. I have no problem with legends or stories (I prefer La Bufana, the old woman who gives gifts in Italian folklore) but I would tell it as a story, not make my kids believe in it until the joy is killed for them. I have no problem with magic and make believe but telling my kids that someone sneaks into our house and leaves things for them sounds creepy to me and too much like an outright lie than a beautiful fable.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I agree 100% with Chicago - there is nothing wrong with young children believing in Santa and shame on the Priest for spoiling the fun.

I would hope that all the un-Santas would have the good sense to keep their “whole truth and nothing but the truth” to themselves. Next thing I know you’d be telling my 3 year old that she ISN’T actually a princess or that my very uncoordinated 6 year old won’t grow up to play professional baseball? Good grief!

Well, I don’t believe that there’s anything wrong with make believe or having big dreams. I just don’t like Santa and I don’t think it’s killing joy to raise your kids to not believe in the Santa legend. I would tell them stories and encourage them to believe what they want, but I wouldn’t force it and they would know from the start that their gifts came from me and their father.

 

[yellowbird]

. I just don’t like Santa and I don’t think it’s killing joy to raise your kids to not believe in the Santa legend. I would tell them stories and encourage them to believe what they want, but I wouldn’t force it and they would know from the start that their gifts came from me and their father.

And that is totally your right and I would respect that. If your child never knew any differently, of course it wouldn’t kill his joy to hear that Santa isn’t true. Believing in Santa is not a make it or break it for a happy childhood. However, MY children do believe in Santa so it would spoil their fun if someone spoke up and said, “Santa isn’t real… he is merely a marketing invention of a beverage company.” Gads… which is why the Priest was totally insensitive with his comments.

For those who reject Santa because he is “fake” - but celebrate St. Nicholas Day… do your children get little treats in their shoes? That’s what many families where I live do… the kids put their shoes out and in the night “St.Nicholas” fills them with treats. Isn’t that lying also? I don’t get the whole Santa is not real but St. Nicolas IS real and travels around filling shoes. What’s the difference? But whatever… again, to each his own.

 

[samcarter14]

And that is totally your right and I would respect that. If your child never knew any differently, of course it wouldn’t kill his joy to hear that Santa isn’t true. Believing in Santa is not a make it or break it for a happy childhood. However, MY children do believe in Santa so it would spoil their fun if someone spoke up and said, “Santa isn’t real… he is merely a marketing invention of a beverage company.” Gads… which is why the Priest was totally insensitive with his comments.

For those who reject Santa because he is “fake” - but celebrate St. Nicholas Day… do your children get little treats in their shoes? That’s what many families where I live do… the kids put their shoes out and in the night “St.Nicholas” fills them with treats. Isn’t that lying also? I don’t get the whole Santa is not real but St. Nicolas IS real and travels around filling shoes. What’s the difference? But whatever… again, to each his own.

Well, we do St Nicholas Day. They make little paper shoes and in the morning I put chocolate “bishops” in their shoes. They know the treats are from me, and the gifts they get on that day are from their dad and me. They do write down a prayer to Jesus, about how they hope to prepare their hearts for Christmas and His birth, and because St Nicholas IS a saint in heaven, they can ask him to take their prayers to Jesus.

We don’t tell them St Nicholas brings the gifts, or the treats. We do ask St Nicholas to intercede for us, and we read books about his life as well.

 

[Jennifer_J]

And that is totally your right and I would respect that. If your child never knew any differently, of course it wouldn’t kill his joy to hear that Santa isn’t true. Believing in Santa is not a make it or break it for a happy childhood. However, MY children do believe in Santa so it would spoil their fun if someone spoke up and said, “Santa isn’t real… he is merely a marketing invention of a beverage company.” Gads… which is why the Priest was totally insensitive with his comments.

For those who reject Santa because he is “fake” - but celebrate St. Nicholas Day… do your children get little treats in their shoes? That’s what many families where I live do… the kids put their shoes out and in the night “St.Nicholas” fills them with treats. Isn’t that lying also? I don’t get the whole Santa is not real but St. Nicolas IS real and travels around filling shoes. What’s the difference? But whatever… again, to each his own.

I do fill their shoes, but they know it’s me. I talk about picking out special things for them from the Catholic store. I actually bought a lovely ornament of…wait for it Santa kneeling at the manger. It’s lovely, though I wish he looked more like St Nicholas, and the kids really loved it and we talked about how St Nicholas honored Jesus through his actions of giving and serving God. So, St Nicholas doesn’t travel around here, we know it’s a day to honor the saint and it’s FUN!

 

[Light_Seeker]

I don’t have any problems doing the Santa thing with my kids. Most of the customs like wrapped gift giving, coming down the chimney, appearing in the middle of the night, and naughty & nice lists are all based on customs & traditions celebrating the feast of Saint Nicholas.

And what is more Christian than giving gifts? We have morphed this in our family, once the kids mature & realize Santa isn’t real, into the love of charity. For example, our parish has an ‘Adopt a Family’ for Christmas … We anonymously provide gifts for poor families with children that have used the parish’s other social services - so the children may have a few gifts under the tree. This year all of my kids, even the Santa believers, helped pick out some new bikes & clothes & wrap them & deliver to the Church for our adopted family. Its up to that family if they want to say the presents are from Santa, or the Church, or from donors. Its brought many smiles into our family, we know its appreciated, and also has taught our children valuable lessons.

Of course we never confuse Santa & gift giving with the real meaning of Christmas!

But what really ticks me is the Easter bunny thing. Hiding chocolate & finding Easter eggs, then watching kids go into a sugar induced crazy - has no correlation to the most religious event we have.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I do fill their shoes, but they know it’s me. I talk about picking out special things for them from the Catholic store. I actually bought a lovely ornament of…wait for it Santa kneeling at the manger. It’s lovely, though I wish he looked more like St Nicholas, and the kids really loved it and we talked about how St Nicholas honored Jesus through his actions of giving and serving God. So, St Nicholas doesn’t travel around here, we know it’s a day to honor the saint and it’s FUN!

Just like my kids will know it’s me filling their shoes on St. Nick’s day and they know it really isn’t La Bufana giving them gifts, just that it’s a cultural fairy tale for them. We’re not denying that it’s un-Christian to give gifts and like I said, people should tell their kids whatever they want about Santa. I just will happen to tell the kids that their gifts are from me.

 

[Jennifer_J]

I
But what really ticks me is the Easter bunny thing. Hiding chocolate & finding Easter eggs, then watching kids go into a sugar induced crazy - has no correlation to the most religious event we have.

We don’t do the Easter bunny either BUT we do have baskets–well actually, it’s one LARGE basket (really, really big) that we use each year. In it is fun stuff–toys and candy but also religious items–last year was a large statue of Jesus w/Children, along with small prayer cards, Saint necklaces, Holy water fonts, Easter books, bibles, etc…They really seem to enjoy it! Our parish also often offers blessing of food at the Easter Mass. One year I bought a lamb cake mold and made that and we had the cake blessed. One year it was special rolls. The kids have been asking for the lamb cake again, though. It’s a fun tradition if you can get your Priest to do it. Our parish also colors tons of Easter Eggs and gives them out after each Mass.

I think, as a convert (from nothing), I’ve had to feel out a lot of these traditions for myself. My parents overdid Santa when I was a kid and Jesus was not even a close second on that day. I know I probably go too far the other direction, but finding a good balance is not easy for us and society doesn’t make it any easier. I’d say give those of us who don’t do Santa or the Easter bunny a break and assume we’re doing what we need to do for a strong Catholic family. My children haven’t been harmed by a lack of focus on Santa and I doubt the Priest was out to make anyone angry or destroy some child’s imagination. I will be more careful to not let the “cat out of the bag” but I will not lie and will continue to keep our family clearly focused on Christ for both Christmas and Easter.

 

[sanctamaria17]

Something telling about my own experience:

I’m a convert from nothing. My mother was Protestant (now Catholic), my father is agnostic (baptized Catholic but cultural). However, it was my nonreligious father who tried to make sure Jesus got more credit than Santa on Christmas. My mother did Santa more than my father did, my father didn’t talk much about Santa. Instead, he was the one who insisted on reading the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve!

Yeah, I can at least understand Santa coming from St. Nicholas. But someone enlighten me on what a big, fluffy bunny has to do with Jesus being raised from the dead?

 

[igator99]

So many people who find virtue in taking away other people’s children’s fairy tales, fables, legends, etc.

I pity children raised without a sense of wonder and magic. It’s a natural part of childhood, and I think it is tragic that so many people are not only so determined to keep that from children, but loudly proclaim their virtue in doing so.

I think I am going to take the tack of PaulinVA and keep my kids a little isolated in December, to keep them away from the killjoys loudly bleating about Santa’s non-existence and their own moral solidity.

I personally don’t believe the priest should have said this in Mass. I’m surprised kids weren’t crying. I only have two children and both were raised on the myths of Santa…, Easter Bunny…etc… It was wonderful to see the magic in their eyes and spirit on Christmas morning.

It is heart breaking for both child and parent when we have to tell them the truth. I just ask why do we continue to do this? Most of us go into debt for Christmas to keep factories in China humming? Are we doing this for ourselves? Are we damaging our kids trust and faith?

 

[leonie]

You know how the Jesus said not to put new wine in old wineskins?

That’s the basis of my philosophy on using secular celebrations in conjunction with Catholic liturgical celebrations. That’s why we have an All Saints Day party instead of Halloween trick or treating. That’s why we don’t promote Santa Claus or the Easter bunny. Our kids get treats, but they know we provide the treats in honor of God’s generosity towards us.

My kids love to read fairy tales, Tolkien, fantasy novels, and magic books. But, we don’t confuse the two.

The kids and I were studying the Baltimore Catechism the other day on lying. It said that even white lies were sins.

The new Catechism says this on lying

2482

"A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving."281 The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: "You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."282

2483
Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man’s relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord.

2484
The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error.

It’s not a mortal sin, but a lie is a lie…I don’t think a priest has the obligation to perpetuate a lie, esp when his point was that the story of Santa Claus detracts from the story of the Epiphany.

 

[juliasmith]

Hmmmm, The priest CAN present the TRUTH about Jesus without overstepping his bounds about Santa. He overstepped his bounds, OR he presented his point poorly. My kids NEVER had a problem with both Santa and Jesus. Why must someone always be a spoilsport and feel they must ruin the fantasy for kids? I just don’t get that attitude.

Why do we feel a need in this culture to feed fantasy to our children? To lie to them? Because we think it is cute? What in the world has Santa to do with a sacred mass?
My kids never had a problem with Santa either. They were taught the truth about him, though. They knew he was pretend.
I just think it stupid that people will lie to children about some fat, red-suited old man who hangs out with elves when the reality is Christ is healthier and much more beautiful.
I’ll admit I have a particular bee in my bonnet about this issue due to my ex-husband’s insistence on maintaining the lie of Santa for our 9 YO. It makes me very angry.