“In Christian Science, Christmas stands for the real, the absolute and eternal, — for the things of Spirit, not of matter.”
~ Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellany, p. 260
May you celebrate the real and the eternal as the Christmas season fast descends upon us.
Thank you so much for this, Evan! I love this article of Mary Baker Eddy. Just before the sentence you mention, she says: “An eternal Christmas would make matter an alien save as phenomenon, and matter would reverentially withdraw itself before Mind. The despotism of material sense or the flesh would flee before such reality, to make room for substance, and the shadow of frivolity and the inaccuracy of material sense would disappear.” (Miscellany p. 260:3-8).
Some years ago, Michelle Nanouche, who is a practitioner and teacher in Paris, has written an entry in her blog about this. This was later edited as an article and published in the C.S. Journal: https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1k6aes4z4u8?s=e
When it appeared on her blog, there was a great need in our family for healing. Our granddaughter had to deal with a very uncomfortable and unsightly physical problem, and her parents were told that it would last several weeks and that the whole family would get it. I read Michelle Nanouche’s post, and the passage mentioned above, was such a wonderful inspiration! I felt comforted and uplifted. I knew that “matter would reverentially withdraw itself before Mind…”.The problem just vanished in one or two days and nobody else in the family fell ill.
Since then, I love Christmas even more and each year, I give thanks for this beautiful healing (not only on Christmas, though 🙂 ).
Thank you so much for your post of today about the real significance of Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Many thanks for this.
Thank you so much for sharing this article. I remember reading it when it was originally published. It was just the message I needed this morning while praying about the true idea of Christmas and pushing all the material expectations out of the way.
Thank you dear Beatrice❣️Your comment is wonderful and I appreciate you sharing Michelle’s article that is also wonderful. I will read it daily leading up to Christmas morning. I just love the truth it expresses.
Hi dear Beatrice, thank you very much for the link to the article by Michelle Nanouch. What a wonderful demonstration showing us the true meaning of Christmas!
Thank you for your inspired comment. 🙂
Thank you for this gift, Beatrice! And Evan. The truth and the proof of its truth. I will treasure and share!
Thank you Evan. “The Substance of Christmas” is a perfect topic and sure to invite many wonderful comments that I look forward to. A good
way to begin this holy month and every day actually.
thank you. Christmas has meant a lot to me through the years and the meaning has changed accordingly as I have grown spiritually. It is a wonderful time to honor the truth in all of us with a gesture or a gift representing that truth. I have tried to give all gifts for any occasion in that spirit and I have always had just the right gift whether material or otherwise, with just the right idea behind it. I watch as my grandchildren are caught up in Santa Claus but I feel strongly they sense what is truly being given; thoughtful ideas that honor them whether in a toy, or something beautiful to look at, or just the right thing needed to grow and learn. Merry Christmas.
Each Christmas adds a new thought of what is the true meaning. Thank you for
All your blogs and the Nanouche article.. I love all the musical tributes to the
“Living Christ”. Thanks again Evan
Thanks so much, Beatrice, for sharing that article. It expresses so vividly what Christmas really is – a celebration of the Christ which continues today to guide and bless all.
Thank you Evan that you make me think deeper about Christmas.
In former times Christmas was celebrating in family with good eating and exchanging nice presents, though giving with love. But today I prefer rather to be alone with God on the 24th of December, reading Mrs. Eddy’s article “What Christmas means to me” and listen to “The Messiah” by Händel. I love Georg Friedrich Händel’s music very much.
However when I now think about today’s SpiritView and the spiritual view therein, I discern it has a much more spiritual meaning than I thought before.
Every healing is a demonstration of the presence of Christmas, yeah a witness of the real, absolute and eternal, even the things of Spirit, as Mrs. Eddy says so clearly in Miscellaneous p. 260 mentioned above by Evan!
Thank you Evan for this totally spiritual understanding of Christmas – it can be everyday. It is the dawning of the Christ in human consciousness, so uplifting!
Am also grateful for the wonderful comments here 🙂
Christmas, loving, caring, giving, sharing, warmth, heart, sole, surrounding.
Many Christmas’s past. Eternal Christmas’s ever.
Gratitude, beautiful images, everywhere. Children’s happiness.
Faith expressed, anticipation, goodness, blessed, peace and rest.
Caressing rose colored cheeks, Hopeful holiday’s blessings speak, joy!
A pot bellied stove fed by ax and wood from around a humble home,stood.
Hard effort of hand, mind, strength from above. Flames flickering giving warmth.
Small stockings, hard candy, an incredible orange.
Ice on windows. Large drifts of snow. Colored lights in the distance dancing for show.
Grateful music, songs, caroling.
Exchanging gifts, warm hugs.
A old used sled.
Exalting, uplifting, stress forgotten, assured spirit resting, action, harmony.
Candle lights, oil lamps around. Simple blessing from above.
We gather together near our dear Mother, Love…….
Somehow the earliest memories of Christmas are my best.
As children know only their mother’s love and care. We should be more like them,every year.
Warm and loving thoughts to all and every day is Christmas, when or it you pray.