Oh, media

I saw this headline online.  The Houston Chronicle apparently wants to turn the pope's encyclical into something political.  Surprise, surprise!  Will it have political implications?  Yes.  The Church is in the world (though not of the world) and so will be involved in politics, but she is a Church, not a Super PAC, and so her sole purpose is glorifying God.  Everything she does is to that end.

It cleans not your soul

My favorite bit of "fine print" I've ever seen was in a commercial several years ago for Orbit gum that involved Snoop Dogg going to Hell.  After cleaning his mouth with Orbit, he went to Heaven.  The fine print said,

Dramatization.  Orbit gum will not get you into Heaven.

Clearly, someone at the advertising agency either had a sense of humor, was very pious, or was superstitious.  I can imagine some designer saying, "I don't want to be responsible before God for that one person who thought Orbit was his ticket to Heaven!"

Most fine print is designed to limit legal liability.  There is no legal liability here, unless someone was afraid of King Hamlet's ghost suing for vengeance.

I suppose it would be too much to ask for the fine print to say, "Dramatization.  Only Jesus Christ will get you into Heaven."  At least we know that Orbit gum is not the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Mammon from Hell

I wonder if we should change one of the traditional Sunday Advent readings to Matthew 6:19-21, 24.

Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also. No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Traditionally in the western Church, the Christmas season was 12 days (hence the song) from Christmas Day (December 25) to the Epiphany of the Lord (January 6).  This is still more or less true on the Church calendar itself. In the U.S., however, and perhaps some other countries, the Epiphany is moved to the nearest Sunday, so Christmas lasts 9 to 14 days.

Even without this unfortunate change, there is no denying that the Church's Christmas season is radically different from the secular Christmas season, which begins in November ("officially" on Thanksgiving) and lasts until the evening of December 25 when the last Christmas special airs on TV.

This change came about primarily from the commercialization of Christmas.  As I child, I remember adults at church bemoaning how our society has forgotten the "true meaning of Christmas."  Now I hear people complain about store clerks wishing "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" as if they are committing an act of blasphemy.  Perhaps they are, but against God or mammon?

Mammon is a word representing our greed and material desires. There is nothing wrong with gift giving at Christmas and material possessions in general (provided they are at the service of the good), but we must ask ourselves: if at Thanksgiving we are more focused on the Black Friday sales than giving thanks to God; if our children feel entitled to a certain toy, regardless of whether it is appropriate and good for them or if you can afford it; and if a merry Christmas revolves around them getting that toy; and if you are willing to inconveniece yourself and wait in line at a store for hours for the best deal but can't find the time to attend Mass during Advent, Christmas, or New Years; ask yourself: whom do you truly serve, God or mammon?