Practice Christmas traditions, not consumerism, Pope says

Vatican, Dec. 21 (CWNews.com) - In his last public audience before Christmas, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) urged the faithful to maintain their "interior wonder" as they celebrate the Nativity.

Breaking from his weekly series of meditations on the Psalms, the Pope dedicated his December 21 talk to preparation for Christmas. He told the 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square that Christian traditions help to illustrate the meaning of the holy day, and among those traditions, "the richest in spiritual significance" is the symbolism of the light that shines in the darkness.

In the northern hemisphere, the Pope observed, Christmas comes at a time when the daylight hours are shortest. The festive lights of Christmas help break the darkness, and remind believers to "let our souls open to the true spiritual light" that comes with the Incarnation.

Warning once again that "modern consumer culture tends to remove Christian symbols from the Christmas celebration," the Pope encouraged his listeners to maintain the traditions of a Christian celebration, using time-honored practices to point toward the spiritual significance of the feast.