Christmas Spirit?

I picked up my Mom to bring her over to the house for Noche Buena dinner yesterday. I spent the first 7 minutes of the ride--9 in total--explaining to her why she should not give her 2 teenage grandkids money for Christmas. They don't appreciate it I explained. Take them out to dinner one night instead, I begged. I then proceeded to explain--in what I believe to be my most convincing style, the eyes lockdown maneuver, difficult but not impossible while driving--in unsparing detail why she would never cross their minds again once the money was provided.

My mother was horrified. I know this because she said nothing during my dialogue [or diatribe], she just nodded imperceptibly looking straight ahead. I had returned to familiar, but unwelcome, grounds with my Mom. Losing an argument of which I was sure of my facts.

Turns out that my Mom's Christmas gift to her grandkids is not one of the places to take a stand against the commercialism of Christmas. This all came to me during the 8th minute of the ride. The 9th minute of the ride was taken up by my half-hearted apologies. Half-hearted because I was careful not to repudiate any of the facts stated so assuredly in those first 7 minutes.

I will be picking my Mom up again today and attending Mass. I am so blessed to be a breathing Christian, I get two more chances to get it right.

Let us love the Child of Bethlehem. Come souls and love a God who has become a Child, poor and so lovable, in need of our tender love, who has come down from heaven to give Himself entirely to you. If we but ask for pardon and salvation, He has come to pardon us and to save us.

-- St. Francis of Assisi

Today's Gospel reading is copied in full at the end of this post. The Passion of The Christ aside, my favorite biblical movie is The Gospel of John. Here is a 10 minute video of the beginning [literally]. Please read and listen.

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John 1: 1 - 18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God;
3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
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