Abbreviations cause a
stir!
In fact it didn’t really bother me until some protestant radio pastor told me it should. “They’re taking ‘Christ’ out of Christmas!” was the battle cry. With the shifting of our culture through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, secularism became more aggressive against the religious traditions of our society. “Xmas” became one of many battlefields for traditionalists to defend (along with manger scenes on city squares and “Christmas” gift exchanges, and “Christmas” concerts in our public schools).
Well the joke is actually on the secularists and our
excitable fundamentalist brethren. They
should read their ancient history a little more closely. The “X” in “Xmas” is actually a Christian
symbol. It has been in use at least from
the third century (A.D.) when Constantine painted it on his shield and went out
conquering in this sign. Constantine actually inherited the symbol from existing customs. In the 16th
Century (1500s) "X" was mass produced with the advent of the printing
press. “Xmas” was more frequently used as an abbreviation for Christmas.
“X” is the
Greek letter Chi (pronounced kai) and is the first letter of the word Christos
(Xristos). Christos is the phonetic form where we
receive the title “Christ” (Anointed One).
“X” therefore had for centuries come to abbreviate Xianity, Xians, and
Xmas, xtc. So, as troubling as it has
become for the Faithful to see “X-mas,” it’s important to understand this
symbol’s origins are as innocent as rendering United States of America thusly:
USA.
What's troubling is that Xians continue to lose there understanding of
ancient symbols that were intended to be reminders of our faith in Jesus
Christ. In fact we are surrounded by
these symbols that often go unnoticed. Or, if we notice, we don’t bother to ask
what they mean.
Examples include Alpha and Omega and Chi and Rho.
The former represents Jesus Christ as the Beginning and the End of all things. (Alpha
is the beginning of the Greek alphabet, and Omega being the end.) The latter, “Chi and Rho” are simply the
first two letters of Christos. Perhaps if we abbreviated Christmas thusly “XRmas,” we would be less
offended.
We
see other uses of alphabetic abbreviation on bibles and altars. Iota, Heta, and Sigma (Ihs). These are the first three letters in the
Greek name of Jesus ( Ihsous; pronounced eeyay-soos) If you look close enough at some altars or
processional crosses you’ll find this abbreviation.
Now the point of this article is not to deny that the
Christian religion is losing its favor in our society. In fact I agree that we have turned a corner
in America in which secular values (even good values) have supplanted the
principles of Xianity on which western culture and our nation were
founded. I lament this truth. Yet the issue for me is that we as Christians
need to be more familiar with our own heritage as Xians and we need to
understand that the words “Xmas” or “Christmas”
are not what will bring a person to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The
reality is that the only people that can take “Christ” out of the world are the people who bear Christ in the world. If Christ is taken out of Christmas it is
because Christians have not properly put Christ into Christmas. If you and I do not bear Christ throughout
the seasons of our lives then we will do little to change the lives of the
people around us in this Christmas Season.
As you read this, remember, we Christians are in the Advent
Season (what I also call the shopping season.)
We are to bear Christ whether it’s Christmas or New Year’s,
or the Fourth of July. Be mindful of your Faithful obligation to worship God and be a disciple of
Christ whether it’s Christmas, or Easter, or the 11th Sunday after Pentecost?
Blessings friends,
Fr. Stephen+
