I’ve heard there’s a stir among some Christians concerning assorted Protestant congregations declining to have services Sunday morning the 25th.
I wish to encourage this habit.
I’ve already told my mother-in-law that if *her* mother-in-law, whose Baptist church is hosting a service Christmas Eve only (during which time she’ll be busy with the family), if she in her deprivation would like to visit my Catholic parish Sunday morning? I will absolutely attend two, yes two, Christmas Masses so that my poor beleaguered Protestant relative has company.
[I’m obliged to be at Mass on the vigil, firm commitment. And, yes, I hate crowed Christmas Masses just as much as everyone else. But I’ll take one for the team, you bet.]
I’ll be honest, I’m surprised to hear about this year’s church-service defecting. Years ago (2011?) my son was sitting with my husband at his evangelical church on a Sunday Christmas morning, and the pastor in his sermon asked, “And why are we here this morning?” To which my son responded: “Because it’s Sunday.”
Which was correct. In years when Christmas didn’t fall on a Sunday, my then-Protestant husband came to Mass with the mackeral-snappers, because that was the only Christmas-morning action in town.
Thus a year or two later my husband came to Mass with us one Christmas non-Sunday morning and promptly forgot to ever go anywhere else. Within a month he’d gone and reverted to the Catholic faith. Thank you Protestants! Keep up the good work!
So it’s with mischievous hopefulness that I’m hearing so many non-Catholics won’t be having church this Sunday. You Catholic friends? Stand in the back and help the vagrants find seats in your pews. Thanks everyone!
Related: 10 Reasons It’s Safe to Come to Mass this Christmas
Artwork by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1526/1530–1569) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons