Why is Christmas celebrated by some Protestants?

[spedteacherita]

Can’t Christians who don’t believe that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ have joy from hearing the Word of God and knowing that Christ became incarnate for the sake of all of us? I know many Christians who are joyful in their walk with Jesus as they cling to His suffering and dying on the cross for us and are waiting in joyful anticipation for His coming back as He promised.

Blessings and peace!

Rita

 

[Wannano]

Some people believe that joy comes from reading a good book, sipping coffee with a friend, watching their favorite TV show but it doesn’t. Those are distractions we place in our lives if they do not point to God. Read a book and consider how it brings you closer to God or His Word. Have coffee with a friend and make your time count by bringing God to your friend. If God isn’t at the center of our lives, we are just idolaters.

For the life of me I cannot figure out how this has anything to do with Protestants celebrating Christmas. Which by the way the vast majority of Protestants do.

So 808, you have gone from “might be difficult to have joy” to “do not have any joy” to "“if God isn’t at the center of our lives, we are just idolaters”. I agree with your last statement. Truly, if God is not at the center of our life, we have very little lasting joy as we endeavor to walk the Christian path. We can keep all the rules, know the concepts, practice all the requirements but if God Himself isn’t at the center of our focus we will experience a lack of real joy in our Christian life.

 

[spedteacherita]

For the life of me I cannot figure out how this has anything to do with Protestants celebrating Christmas. Which by the way the vast majority of Protestants do.

So 808, you have gone from “might be difficult to have joy” to “do not have any joy” to "“if God isn’t at the center of our lives, we are just idolaters”. I agree with your last statement. Truly, if God is not at the center of our life, we have very little lasting joy as we endeavor to walk the Christian path. We can keep all the rules, know the concepts, practice all the requirements but if God Himself isn’t at the center of our focus we will experience a lack of real joy in our Christian life.

Well put!

 

[808Catholic]

Can’t Christians who don’t believe that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ have joy from hearing the Word of God and knowing that Christ became incarnate for the sake of all of us? I know many Christians who are joyful in their walk with Jesus as they cling to His suffering and dying on the cross for us and are waiting in joyful anticipation for His coming back as He promised.

Blessings and peace!

Rita

It’s mystifying to me that those who claim to believe that God Incarnated in Christ Jesus 2,000 years ago yet cannot incarnate in the Holy Eucharist today; that God could work miracles then but not now; that God would walk among us then but not be truly present in the Holy Eucharist today. Yes, many can have joy in knowing Christ just as the early Church fathers brought the Good News to the Jews and pagans back then but without God where does joy come from? It is a pale reflection of God’s love and who wants just a reflection rather than the True One?

 

[808Catholic]

For the life of me I cannot figure out how this has anything to do with Protestants celebrating Christmas. Which by the way the vast majority of Protestants do.

So 808, you have gone from “might be difficult to have joy” to “do not have any joy” to "“if God isn’t at the center of our lives, we are just idolaters”. I agree with your last statement. Truly, if God is not at the center of our life, we have very little lasting joy as we endeavor to walk the Christian path. We can keep all the rules, know the concepts, practice all the requirements but if God Himself isn’t at the center of our focus we will experience a lack of real joy in our Christian life.

The source of all joy is God. Some who don’t believe can experience a sense of joy yet not know the source. Do we seek a pale imitation of joy that one might have from a new smart phone or do we seek the joy of Christ? That’s my point.

 

[Peter_J]

It’s mystifying to me that those who claim to believe that God Incarnated in Christ Jesus 2,000 years ago

Did I read that right, those who claim to believe it?

Or then again, I think it’s possible that I read it just fine, but you didn’t think about it quite enough when you wrote it. But regardless, it’s certainly not my intention to comb through every word that you’ve posted here. I’m fine with you posting what you like, so long as readers understand that it’s you saying it … Sadly, it has happened about 999,999 times that somebody reads X on CAF and concludes that the Catholic Church must teach X.

 

[cmodrmac]

" f you don’t celebrate the Holy Eucharist, it may be difficult to find joy in anything."

these types of comments just are mean spirited and nasty-what would make you think at all that we do not celebrate Christmas? -we celebrate the Eucharist-the birth of Christ is in the Bible-no one knows the exact day Christ was born-

We believe that our Eucharist is valid and that Christ is present-the Lutherans do as well-just accept the fact that we do not defer to the Pope on issues such as this
I agree that the 7th Adventists do not celebrate Christmas and some Churches of Christ ( not to be confused with the UCC)

the JW does not celebrate Christmas but I am hard pressed to include them as Christian

 

[Wannano]

The Real Presence started with God Incarnate the very first Christmas: God-man. It’s not the priest who “puts” Christ into the host: God incarnates every single time in the Holy Eucharist. God comes to us, incarnates for us! Let no one separate what God has put together…

Is this what the CCC teaches? I am not sure and would appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut of those here at CAF that could shed more light on it.

 

[Wannano]

The source of all joy is God. Some who don’t believe can experience a sense of joy yet not know the source. Do we seek a pale imitation of joy that one might have from a new smart phone or do we seek the joy of Christ? That’s my point.

Sorry, somehow I got the message that believing in the Real Presence was the source of your joy.

 

[808Catholic]

Did I read that right, those who claim to believe it?

Or then again, I think it’s possible that I read it just fine, but you didn’t think about it quite enough when you wrote it. But regardless, it’s certainly not my intention to comb through every word that you’ve posted here. I’m fine with you posting what you like, so long as readers understand that it’s you saying it … Sadly, it has happened about 999,999 times that somebody reads X on CAF and concludes that the Catholic Church must teach X.

Correct. There are those who claim to believe in God Incarnated but not the Real Presence. If there is any doubt what the Catholic Church teaches, readers should refer to the CCC, their local Diocese, or ask a priest on CAF. My opinions are my opinions only.

 

[808Catholic]

Sorry, somehow I got the message that believing in the Real Presence was the source of your joy.

To clarify, God is the ultimate source of my joy and He is present in the Holy Eucharist.

 

[808Catholic]

" f you don’t celebrate the Holy Eucharist, it may be difficult to find joy in anything."

these types of comments just are mean spirited and nasty-what would make you think at all that we do not celebrate Christmas? -we celebrate the Eucharist-the birth of Christ is in the Bible-no one knows the exact day Christ was born-

We believe that our Eucharist is valid and that Christ is present-the Lutherans do as well-just accept the fact that we do not defer to the Pope on issues such as this
I agree that the 7th Adventists do not celebrate Christmas and some Churches of Christ ( not to be confused with the UCC)

the JW does not celebrate Christmas but I am hard pressed to include them as Christian

Does the word “may” mean anything to your interpretation? “May” means possible not certainly. It is NOT intended as mean spirited. To your point: even atheists celebrate Christmas. To my point, Christmas is not the same to everyone.

 

[JonNC]

To clarify, God is the ultimate source of my joy and He is present in the Holy Eucharist.

Why do you think a certain small number of non-catholic communions do not celebrate Christmas?

Jon

 

[Peter_J]

Is this what the CCC teaches? I am not sure and would appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut of those here at CAF that could shed more light on it.

It’s a post on a forum run by the organization Catholic Answers.

Anything else you’d like to know?

 

[GEddie]

If God is not at the center of the life, are they in fact walking the Christian path?

Question, not statement.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Wannano]

It’s a post on a forum run by the organization Catholic Answers.

Anything else you’d like to know?

Yes actually, something I have been wondering lately. What is the purpose of this forum?

 

[Peter_J]

Yes actually, something I have been wondering lately. What is the purpose of this forum?

Not sure I’d be qualified to answer that (although I did read the “Welcome to our Forums”).

Anyhow, you’ve probably guessed already that my previous post was slightly tongue in cheek. The thing, there are so many millions of things posted on the CA website alone, not to mention the Internet as a whole, that I believe the only sensible approach is to remind readers to “not believe everything you read” (as often as necessary) rather then trying to tell people “That post represents the Catholic Church, that one does not etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.”

Incidentally, I used to refer people to EWTN’s expert-advice website – which has a number of subsections, one of which was manned by Catholic Answers personnel – but to be honest, I haven’t been to that website much in a while.

 

[Wannano]

If God is not at the center of the life, are they in fact walking the Christian path?

Question, not statement.

ICXC NIKA

A very intriguing question. I don’t see the path as a tight rope and neither as wide as a freeway. Maybe just enough room to stumble and fall and get up again .

 

[Wannano]

Not sure I’d be qualified to answer that (although I did read the “Welcome to our Forums”).

Anyhow, you’ve probably guessed already that my previous post was slightly tongue in cheek. The thing, there are so many millions of things posted on the CA website alone, not to mention the Internet as a whole, that I believe the only sensible approach is to remind readers to “not believe everything you read” (as often as necessary) rather then trying to tell people “That post represents the Catholic Church, that one does not etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.”

Incidentally, I used to refer people to EWTN’s expert-advice website – which has a number of subsections, one of which was manned by Catholic Answers personnel – but to be honest, I haven’t been to that website much in a while.

I have experienced having a question answered with multiple Bible references and lots of diatribe that would literally take hours to decipher. Then I ask a question and don’t get an answer at all. I had never read about Jesus being reincarnated with every Eucharist. I thought the priest had the role of being an alter-christ and responsible for bringing His presence into the wafer and blood. Thought someone would jump in and set me straight.

 

[Peter_J]

I have experienced having a question answered with multiple Bible references and lots of diatribe that would literally take hours to decipher. Then I ask a question and don’t get an answer at all. I had never read about Jesus being reincarnated with every Eucharist. I thought the priest had the role of being an alter-christ and responsible for bringing His presence into the wafer and blood. Thought someone would jump in and set me straight.

Welcome to CAF. I myself recently read a post in favor of only voting for political candidates who “act Catholic”. (Or the phrase could have been “act more Catholic”, I don’t want to go hunting for the post right now.)