By John Petty, Catholic Editor
The season of Advent has arrived. Consequently, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel has been decorated with evergreens, purple and an Advent wreath in recognition of this new liturgical season.
Decorated Sanctuary – Photo by John Petty
As the preparatory season of Advent has begun, the celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ in His Incarnation has drawn closer. The Fall 2025 Semester at Aquinas College will soon end, and many students will return home to their families to celebrate the Christmas holiday.
“I look forward to seeing my family and friends far from home and getting to celebrate the birth of Christ,” said senior Luke Alread.
Beginning with the third Sunday of Advent, the Church begins to focus in anticipation on the coming Feast of the Nativity. Though the days get darker and the calendar year comes to an end, the Feast of the Nativity can represent new beginnings and an increase in the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity that mark this coming time of increased joy.
Hope of men – Photo by John Petty
While Christmas in the United States often brings to mind images of Santa Claus, elves and other secular practices and connotations, the religious significance of this holiday for Christians is rooted in the Economy of Salvation. The revelation of God’s self-giving love for his people ultimately is what makes this holiday so beautiful. A world full of sin and pain awaits the coming of the King of Kings, the great Savior of mankind.
The Word, through whom all things were made, came into the world in greatest humility, being laid in a feeding trough with the sounds of farm animals welcoming him. Christ’s First Coming brings to the mind of Christians hope and renewal amidst the anxieties of the world. Some believe that the meaning of Christmas has been misunderstood and misguided.
“To me it seems that Christmas has become more about being friendly to others and giving but we don’t talk a lot about the reason why we need to be this way year round,” said Alread.
Icon of an angel – Photo by John Petty
While the Feast of the Nativity focuses indeed on the historical event of the Incarnation, it may also be a helpful reflection for the individual Christian, where one may welcome God into their individual lives in the present moment, just as Christ came into the world in His Incarnation two thousand years ago. Furthermore, many Christians view the preparation for Christmas in a penitential light.
“People too often today spread out the joy and reverence of Christmas over a long period,” said junior Noah Morris. “It ought to be as it has been historically: a period of fasting, looking towards the penultimate focal point of all creation.”
The presents, snow, movies and hot chocolate are indeed great things. However, they themselves do not make the Christmas holiday special. Rather, in the Christian understanding, it is the love of God for his people, a love so great that his only begotten son came into the world for poor sinners, that makes this holiday so significant.
The Saint 