Msgr. Pope on the Nighttime Celebration of Christmas

"Some sing, 'O Holy Night.' Some sing, 'Silent Night.' Some sing, 'It Came upon a Midnight Clear.' Christmas, it would seem, is a festival of the middle of the night. Jesus was born when it was dark, dark midnight. We are sure of it. And why shouldn't we be?

"Even though we are not told the exact hour of His birth, we are sure that it must have been at night. Scripture does say that the shepherds who heard the glad tidings were keeping watch over their flock by night (cf Luke 2:9). Further, the Magi sought him by the light of a star, and stars are seen at night - deep midnight. None of this is evidence that Jesus was born at 11:59 PM, but it sets our clocks for nighttime - deep midnight. . . .

"How fitting it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the true Light of the World, in deep and dark December. Jesus, our light, kindles a fire that never dies away. Indeed, in the dark hours of late December, we notice a trend. The light is returning; the darkness is abating; the days are growing longer from this point on. It is subtle now, but it will grow! And with the return of light, we celebrate our True Light: Jesus."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on celebration of the birth of the Light of the world and what this means for us, His people.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Why Christmas Is Celebrated at Night (22 DEC 15)