"Christian, remember your dignity." Pope Leo I, or Pope Leo the Great, as he's also known, ruled in the mid-fifth century, but his words have plenty to teach us in our current moment. Every Christmas Day, Catholics read his sermon, in which he implores: "Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness."
He goes on to say: "No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all."
What a refreshing message in the midst of so much turmoil and craziness. And what a blessed reminder that real freedom exists.
There is more to life than everything in the news: the shootings, the nasty political debates, the government dysfunction. Those things aren't what matter. And that's what December is about -- remembering that we have roots that are deeper than the shallowness of the present and a future that is more enduring than the weight of our past.
Pilgrims are not headed to Jerusalem right now as they might normally be, due to the war. But when you are there, you encounter the greatest love that there is. When I was last there, it was the Muslim call to prayer that kept me from hitting snooze my first morning there. Jet lag begone! Everyone in the Old City in the wee hours of the morning was headed to prayer -- Christians, Jews and Muslims. In December, thinking of the Holy Land, this is what we should all be doing. This is the call.
"Christian, remember your dignity," Pope Leo said, "and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God's kingdom."
Our culture and politics should reflect something noble: service! These days, it's more about celebrity and power. Every Republican debate lately has been more depressing than the previous one. Not necessarily because of any of the candidates, but because we may have forgotten what we represent and should be working toward.
Christmas means something. This season is more than decorations. It's actual light. And the Abrahamic faiths have a common connection. In a particular way this year, Christians and Jews need to remember that we are family. What does that mean for geopolitical realities? That's a matter for prayer and for action.
There will be many headlines this month, many distractions and distressing events. But hang on to December in moments of contemplation. Actual love. Real virtue. These things are more powerful than any political primary or election. December is an opportunity to remember what we often miss in the general hubbub of life. It's a time, too, to catch up with the people we love who, after all, won't be here forever.
Life is far from perfect, but the work and love of family make all the difference. Mary, Joseph and Jesus are quite the reminder of the importance of love and family. Going back to December should include inserting yourself into the Holy Family, whatever your circumstances are. Because there is love there. And don't we need that?
(Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book "A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living." She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan's pro-life commission in New York, and is on the board of the University of Mary. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com.)