“Christmas begins with Christ—it always has, and it always will. I am sick and tired of those who continually try to change or erase our traditions.” By Rt Rev Dr. Mark Paris-Haines

Sermon:

Wednesday 10.12.2025

Christmas begins with Christ. It always has, and it always will, no matter how loudly or persistently some groups attempt to reshape, dilute, or redefine its meaning. The very word Christmas proclaims its foundation Christ’s Mass, a celebration of the birth of Jesus, the centerpiece of the Christian faith. (are we not a Christian counrty?) And yet, every year, I find myself growing more exhausted, more disheartened, and more frustrated by the ongoing efforts to strip this sacred season of its spiritual essence. It is as though the deeper meaning, built over centuries of faith, devotion, and cherished tradition, is being pushed aside in favor of a hollow, sanitized, commercial version that barely resembles what the holiday has always stood for.

I am sick and tired of watching people try to peel away the heart of Christmas, reducing it to a generic winter festivity crafted to avoid offending anyone, when in truth it is the constant pressure to erase Christ that is the only true offense.

Christmas is not some modern invention that can be conveniently remodeled to fit the flavor of the moment. It is a holy season grounded in the miracle of the Incarnation a celebration of hope descending into a weary world. Yet certain voices insist that this meaning should be hidden, softened, or outright replaced, as though the rich spiritual heritage of the holiday is somehow something to be ashamed of.

I am weary of the persistent attempts to rewrite traditions that have stood firm through wars, migrations, cultural shifts, and countless generations. Families have passed down these practices with reverence. Songs, prayers, candlelight services, nativity scenes these are not accidental decorations; they are symbols of faith, reminders of a story that has brought comfort and inspiration to millions for over two thousand years. But now, people are told to avoid saying “Merry Christmas,” as though the word itself is offensive; to avoid nativity imagery, as though the historical origins of the holiday are inconvenient; to turn sacred customs into bland, neutral gestures that carry no spiritual weight, no personal conviction, and no historical truth.

And I am tired, tired of seeing Christmas treated as though its spiritual core can be plucked out and discarded while somehow leaving the “holiday spirit” intact. Without Christ, Christmas collapses into nothing more than lights, sales, and seasonal slogans. Without Christ, the holiday is hollow stripped of the very hope, joy, and redemption that gave it life in the first place. The world may love the festivities, the gatherings, and the warmth of the season, but these are branches growing from a root, and that root is unmistakably Christ.

I hold deep respect for people of all backgrounds and beliefs, and everyone is free to celebrate or not celebrate as they see fit. But honoring diversity does not require erasing the identity of a Christian holiday. It does not require that long cherished traditions be rewritten to appease ever shifting demands. People should be able to acknowledge Christmas for what it is without being pressured to act as though its religious foundation is somehow inappropriate or outdated.

The truth is simple, powerful, and enduring: Christmas starts with Christ. It was founded on Christ, it has been shaped by Christ, and it finds its meaning in Christ. I am worn out by the constant efforts to distort that truth, and I refuse to pretend that Christmas is anything less than the celebration of the birth that changed the world.

The traditions surrounding this holiday were built on faith, reverence, and gratitude, and I believe they deserve to be preserved not watered down, not rewritten, not erased.

No matter how many attempts are made to reshape it, the essence of Christmas cannot be undone. Christ is the center, the foundation, and the heart of it all. And I am tired, truly tired of watching certain groups try to turn something sacred into something shallow. Christmas begins with Christ, and I will stand by that truth with conviction, clarity, and unwavering passion.

Rt Rev Dr. Mark Paris-Haines