Christmas 2025
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: December 25, 2025
If someone who never heard of Christianity was to ask you, what is Christianity, what would you tell them? How would you define Christianity?
There are billions of people on this planet who describe themselves as Christians. But, how many of us are living rooted in this mystery of God coming among us in a weak, helpless baby? What was God saying to us when coming to us born as a baby?
St. John Paul II once defined Christianity in this way, “Christianity is an attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human being.” A definition that does not mention God. The birth of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, reveals the dignity of each human being. A true Christianity must promote and highlight the dignity of the human being.
In every aspect of our lives, our politics, our economics, our family life, our relationships, all must be guided by this fundamental principle of the dignity of the human being. In all of our decisions as Christians we need to ask, “how does this impact human dignity?”
Some examples:
- Homelessness. This is not an accident. It is rooted in some fundamental political and economic decisions of our society. Decisions that ignore the dignity of certain people.
- Poverty. This is not an accident. It is rooted in decisions that ignore the dignity of the human being.
We need to review how we speak of certain groups of people, does it reflect the fundamental dignity of each human being? A true Christianity always respects the dignity of all people and works to insure that their dignity is respected. Those of other religions, other races, women, immigrants and refugees, criminals in prison, those who are different from us in various ways. Even our enemies. We need to treat all people and speak of all people in a way that respects their fundamental human dignity. This is the foundation of Christianity as revealed in this mystery of Christmas.
If Christianity only joins in the racism, prejudice and exclusion mentality of the world, then it is not worth much.
If Christianity only joins in the way of violence, anger and division within our world, rather than being an instrument of peace and unity within the human family, then it is not worth much.
A theologian once presented this challenge for Christianity, saying. “We daily encounter a world fragmented and divided by adversarial conflict, often fueled by religious bigotry. If Christianity cannot bring reconciliation and healing to such a world, then it ends up as another irrelevant force or worse still another religious instrument creating division instead of wholeness and peace.”
Which Christianity are we living and showing in the world?
Is someone was to ask you, what is Christianity, how would you answer? Perhaps you could give the definition of St. John Paul II. “Christianity is an attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human being.”
But more important than any words or descriptions or definitions we give for Christianity, is what we reveal about Christianity by the lives that we live. Do they reflect the fundamental dignity of each human being?
Is our Christianity motivated by fear or by love?
Is our Christianity an instrument of division or of unity?
Is our Christianity one that excludes or one that embraces all?
Is our Christianity about power over others to control them or about empowering and setting others free?
Is our Christianity another source of violence in our world or is it a way bringing peace?
At Christmas we are celebrating the God who came among us, hidden, vulnerable, weak, a little baby. God among us to reveal the dignity of each human being.
We Christians today have a choice to make. Which Christianity will we live?
