Celebrate Christmas season with prayers, good deeds, says bishop

Published: 2003-12-23

CHARLESTON, S.C. (CNS) -- Bishop Robert J. Baker of Charleston doesn't want the Christmas celebrations to end Dec. 25. Instead, he hopes Catholics will use the 12 days of Christmas -- from Dec. 25 until Jan. 5 -- to light a special candle, to consider doing something positive to better the world around them and to say extra prayers. As a symbolic gesture of hope "in the face of all the temptations to negativity and hopelessness" in the world today, he suggested that families light a Christ candle and mark the 12 days of Christmas as part of their holiday celebrations. Such an observance could be initiated at Christmas liturgies, he suggested. Bishop Baker urged Catholics to do something extra during the Christmas season "in the light of the turmoil and tragedies of our times, the scandals in the church, the war in Iraq, terrorist acts of vengeance in general, our own sinfulness in particular, our occasional hostile attitudes or acts towards others, a job loss, a serious family problem, a broken relationship, a sudden illness or death of someone in our family, our being alone at Christmas."

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