The Nativity of Christ, Stavronikita monastery, Mt. Athos

O Holy Night

By John Kass

December 24, 2022

 For all the children who should be loved always, but especially on this night, with our arms wrapped around them and a long goodnight kiss on the temple, a kiss more precious than anything wrapped in a box.

For every parent who stands quietly in the darkened doorways of the bedrooms, watching those small, sleeping shapes.

For all the babies who aren’t loved enough and grow up with a hard crust around their hearts because there was no one near to plant those kisses and give those hugs. And for every couple so full of love, that they adopt a child and save that life.

And for every young mother who has given her baby up for adoption, to save that life growing inside of her. For all those who couldn’t have children of their own. For those who’ve lost their children. For all who’ve lost their moms and dads. For the moms and dads who give everything to keep their family close.

For those crazy uncles who always drink too much tonight, then sneak outside to put on the red suit in the driveway, hopping on one leg, falling in the snow, laughing out there in the cold, before coming back in to surprise the kids.

For those wise aunts who make sure that coffee is strong and black, to help those crazy uncles sober up.

And for everyone in every choir in the world. They’ve been practicing for weeks in cold, empty churches. And so tonight is their night too, their beautiful voices lifting us up with song, inviting us to humble ourselves as we ask for help in scraping away any bitterness that has grown like a hard bark around our hearts.

For those who love you and your children, and don’t wait for a special night to begin building the family. They show up unannounced on some random afternoon in June, or on a cool morning in November– with a coffee cake from your favorite bakery–dropping by just to make sure that you’re OK.

So, tonight is for them, and tomorrow, too, because they are family by friendship and by blood. They are family by the acts of family.

For all the young who are lonely and feel lost and don’t know why. For all those who are far away and can’t make it home this year. For those who are physically near, yet distant in so many other ways, believing that the bad choices they’ve made have locked the door against them.

And now, at the eleventh hour, they wonder if they may ever return home again

Don’t be afraid, because there is good news! Tonight is the night of new hope for the world.

And the door is always open.

Just reach for it and see.

For the good people who help others first. For the children who are hungry and for those who take care to feed them. For the selfish and the mean-spirited, as much as for the good and the kind. Because we’re all hurting somehow.  All of us.

And somehow, we must learn to forgive and embrace and love each other, just as that rabbi, the carpenter’s son, asked us to do so many years ago.

For the shy ones who aren’t part of the ruling clique at work, who aren’t pushy, but just don’t know how to put themselves forward and make themselves noticed. They’d stun you with their grace and talent if only given half a chance.

For every old man at the end of the bar tonight, nursing his drink, wanting a smoke, and grateful to sit still in a warm, clean and well-lighted place to hear the sounds of life going on around him. For every old woman alone  tonight, wide awake in her bed staring at the ceiling, remembering the laughter of children on nights just like this one, when there was so much work to do and a houseful of guests to feed.

For all our four-legged friends who just know it when you’ve received bad news and know what you need. They lean against your leg, or just nuzzle.  But some, like a stubborn dog I know, still hasn’t quite been forgiven for that Christmas Eve years ago when his humans put the big punchbowl of homemade eggnog out on the table on the deck, nestling it in the snow to keep it cool. And later, someone let that dog out, but his human didn’t know he was out there, The dog stuck his big stubborn head deep into the punch bowl to gulp down the spiked eggnog. Confronted, he lifted his head out of the bowl, somewhat buzzed and somewhat surprised, homemade eggnog dripping from his face. He wagged the stub of his tail as if to say “Man, you’ve got to have some of this. It’s so darn tasty.”

And for everyone on the night shift tonight, and those who must work tomorrow, all the first responders—the paramedics, firefighters and police–and the families and friends, especially their children, nieces and nephews waiting for them to come home safe.

For all the kids cut down in the street gang wars in violent big cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, with politicians cynically bartering away the public’s safety in the pursuit of power and votes from those who do violence against the innocent.  For all the cops of these broken cities who can’t bear what such brutal politics have wrought, and internalize it and poison themselves and seek an exit. Please don’t. Please don’t go. Reach out, ask for help. Remember that help is there and you are loved. And remember, the people need you.

For everyone who waits for that call from the doctor only to feel the flutter of dark wings.

For everyone in a hospital tonight praying for dignity, relief from pain, and a peaceful end without shame or suffering. For the families and friends who comfort them and mourn them. For their physicians who tend them. For every nurse who enters a quiet room, pulls up a chair and listens to a quiet confession.

For all the clergy who’ve struggled with their faith, yet who find it again and are renewed.

For every sailor at sea standing watch tonight who stares out into cold black water, remembering brightly lit rooms.

For every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who protect us. And for those of the U.S. Foreign Service and the Intelligence Services who walk into the shadows alone to protect this great nation.

For the American republic, the last hope of liberty on earth. And for the American people, who never, ever quit.

Many have thought of quitting lately, to avoid the dangerous buffoonery on both sides of the jagged political divide. But we must not ever think of quitting.  Our republic is worth saving. American liberty is worth saving. America is worth saving. We will find a way.

To all those whom I’ve hurt with thoughtless words,  I ask your forgiveness. Please. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to reconcile this writer’s life that sets me to make some hard judgements against others, and balance that against my Orthodox Christian faith which tells me to leave judgement to God.

It is by such quick, mean and relentless judgements on social media and in the rest of our lives that we become lost in a never-ending battle in the world of politics. We become calloused in our pursuit of righteousness, we become blinded by zeal. We lock the gates of heaven against ourselves. We become like barking dogs frightened by the night.

But is by the love of Christ, prayer and faith that we have been given the opportunity to unlock those gates.

For every one of you who has joined me here in supporting this great new adventure. I am overwhelmed. I almost gave up and quit writing. But those of you who subscribed just wouldn’t let me give up. You gave me the precious gift of responsibility, of a task, of purpose. My family and I can’t ever thank you enough.

And for all those across the world who know what is most important on this special night.

It is not toys or gold or glitzy technology or fur or leather. It has no need of buzz or empty words of praise.

It is that message brought by that perfect child born in the manger in Bethlehem so long ago.

He is the gift. He came to light the world.

He is all about love.

I pray that love comforts you, and remains.

From our family to you and yours.

Merry Christmas.

-30-

(Copyright 2022 John Kass)

Comments 77

    1. It always seems the current days are more evil than any in the past.
      I no longer believe that.
      The people in charge of our Davos one world order insanity are seemingly intent on bringing about End Times.
      I propose this year we of good faith stand up to the madness every time it reads its head.
      Great column ..no need to apologize to those you have called out for criticism.
      Evil must be confronted.it is our duty, not just yours.
      Peace
      Bill

    3. Thank you for your amazing talent.
      Thank you for recognizing the gift He (Jesus) gave us so very long ago.
      We can begin a new year with fresh hope.
      A great column.
      Peace to you.

  2. John, a blessed and merry Christmas to you. This is simply wonderful writing, and why I auto-renewed my annual subscription the other day.

    Christ comes to us as Man, as our Savior. That innocent baby in the manger is God incarnate, and the story begins today with his birth and ends in HIS innocence, love, and mercy for us all on the Cross. We bend the knee at the manger AND at the foot of the Cross, the two are inextricably linked.

    Blessings to you !

  4. A simple THANK YOU for this lovely column is both not sufficient and simultaneously perfect.
    Wishing you and your family the Peace that Love brings along with the Joy of the Season.
    Merry Christmas!!

  9. From Australia, your inspired voice reaches the ends of the earth, John–at our packed out 10pm Mass this Christmas Eve I said that Catholics and Orthodox, if they usually receive, are welcome to receive the Eucharist. You’re managing really well to keep that balance between justice and mercy, to speak from that position your fellow Greek, Plato-Socrates was in, the truth that builds koinonia, community, in the polis. Yes, I renewed my sub too, hope everyone does! Thanks for all you’re doing, always a totally unique voice in the media today.

  11. Beautiful, as always, John. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Take care of yourself, we need you more than ever. Hope the coming surgery goes well and you are out of pain quickly. You are the shining light in this increasingly crazy world. Thank you for being you.

  12. Perfect, John! I remember it from many Christmas Eves. I’m sharing it to enlist more members in the club of exiles from “the paper.” Christmas blessings to you and your family!

  13. Another wonderful column, John, that tugs at the heart and speaks to the world of the hope and promise that is the birth of baby Jesus, God incarnate. Merry Christmas to you, Betty, the boys and Zeus.

  14. I always look forward to and welcome your Christmas column.

    To John Kass and all of his readers, Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Embrace and share in this Season of Love.

  15. Merry Christmas. We are all the beneficiaries of you decision to carry on and display the talents given to you by God but honed through hard work and dedication.

  18. Thanks, John—Once again I read your grace-filled Christmas Eve column with stinging eyes. All the best to you and yours for a blessed Christmastime, and in the new year, may you guard against any tinge of bitterness that can “grow like a hard bark” around your heart.

  19. Merry Christmas! Thanks you for continuing to being your messages to us in this updated format from the Tribune.
    May your Christmas celebration be surrounded by by family and friends.

  20. Merry Christmas John Kass. Thank you for your words and you are truly a blessing to all of us. May God continue to bless us with your words and actions for many more Christmas’. May God also make your surgery and rehab bring about the finest in your shoulder and your spirit to go fishing once more.
    It was a pleasure to sign up for your renewed column away from that other outlet where I first began to read you……I hope I have many more years of reading you remaining. God bless us all.
    Thank you.

  22. Thank you Γιάννη for all your sustaining wit and prose that have helped us all “keep the faith!” Our Greek Orthodoxy makes allowances for the fallibility of man, so don’t be too hard in yourself, for speaking the truth! We, your loyal fans, will always support your efforts. We must never give up, and must endeavor to keep and save the Republic known as America. Καλά Χριστούγεννα to you, Betty, Zeus and the boys, and υγεία και ευτυχία το καινούργιο έτος! Heal quick…we need your voice!! God bless America!! 🇺🇸

  26. I look forward to your Christmas column every year. Thank you for your words of grace and hope. Speaking of police in broken cities, urging them, “Please don’t go..get help…We need you”. Brings tears to my eyes. We do need police and first responders, now more than ever. Never give up, talk to someone. Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy 2023 to you and your Family, John!

  32. Such beautiful words and a reminder of what counts as we go through, at times, a very difficult life.
    We all have those days when we throw up our hands and say, ‘What’s the use?’ And, then we remember the story of that first Christmas and the promise of the infant born on that cold night in a manger because there was no room in the inn. We must keep that love and caring in our hearts always. We must keep room in our hearts for love, and caring, and kindness for ourselves and our fellow man and woman….

  34. And a very Merry Christmas to you and your Family, Mr. Kass. We need you to keep speaking the truth, as there are very few people who still do. And you are correct, regardless of the religion or ethnicity of people, “Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Man” is still supposed to mean something, even though our (sic) “leaders” apparently don’t think that it should.
    And as always, your Greek ancestors are proud of you. (And keep Zeus away from the egg nog).

  38. Bundles of conflicts, contradictions, hypocrisy and yet, humble and searching for the truth. That is the human condition. It takes a big man to be humble, admit mistakes and humbly ask for forgiveness.

    As for the Republic, there’s still hope. We’ve got lots of open land, and if you turn off the web and ignore the media, you can focus on living and loving for a while. Do we really need Twitter? FB? “The paper”?, cable news?

    Anyway, this annual Christmas Eve column is something I always look forward to. It’s terrible what these jackals in politics and the media do to divide us so.

    I do have a question though. I know Christ wouldn’t like our current pols from either party. Don’t you think he would be a socialist? He turned water into wine, multiplied the loaves of bread and fish, he healed the sick, washed the feet of his disciples.

    Im not saying he’d be AOC or Bernie Sanders, but I also don’t think he’d condone these oligarchs hoarding the bountiful yield as they do without sending more workers to the fields to partake in the harvest.

    1. No, Jesus would never be a godless socialist. Joseph, his earthy father was a carpenter, self employed and working hard for his family. Socialism has NEVER worked in any part of the world. All socialism does is create a society were everyone is equal, but some are more equal. Socialism controls all aspects of commerce and industry, sets quotas and decides what will be produced, marketed, sold and consumed by users. It leads to vast shortages and high prices. Just look at every socialist and it’s bigger brother, Communism country, total failure.

  39. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, John. Absolutely love your columns & so grateful you are still writing for us to enjoy & share. God bless you and your family ❤️

  41. Wishing you and your family a most Merry Christmas. Thank you for speaking the words that are also in my heart and my head. Your message, and especially this Christmas message, gives hope in a world that sometimes feels hopeless.

  44. We longtime readers have learned much from reading your columns over the years, John. And applauded your stand against those who use politics to feather their nests and ignore the REAL needs of the citizenry – But I think I speak for most when I say your Christmas Eve Column is waited for by all, and read quietly and with introspection. We all need the Savior’s Grace and a recharging of our “better selves.” Merry Christmas to you and yours, my friend.

  50. John,

    I stumbled upon you on Real Clear Politics and subsequently signed up for johnkassnews.com.

    I’m 64 and a Chicago native. I was born at South Shore Hospital where two of my great-uncles were doctors. I lived all over the country, but my family seemed to always move back to the Chicago area.

    When I was young I lived at 8012 S. Jeffery, and I can remember my brother learning to ride a bike on the blacktop playground of the Horace Mann school. I started school in Clarendon Hills, and after several other moves away from Chicago, spent the last six months of High School in St. Charles.

    While my family moved to the Atlanta area in 1977, my parents always kept a connection to Chicago, and had two condos at The Buckingham on East Randolph for years. I remember playing golf at the old nine hole course behind their building, that I understand has been gone for years.

    I enjoy your columns – as well as the ones from your guest writers. In a small way it keeps me connected to Chicago.

    However, while I enjoy the up-dates on what’s happening politically, it’s columns like today that I enjoy the most.

    You are a gifted writer, and today’s words really resonated in my soul.

    I wish you and your family a joyous Christmas, and I look forward to enjoying your web-site for many years to come.

    Take Care My Friend.

    Michael Garretson

  56. Thank you, John. This is not a mere column. It is fine art.

    Today we celebrate the light that came into a dark world and continues to illuminate it.

    Behold, He is born. And He shall lead you.

  57. Thank you John for all the wonderful sentiments in this column. Very grounding. I’m not afraid to say it made me weep. Please have a fantastic Christmas with your family and put off any retirement from writing as long as you can.

  59. My favorite part is the asking of forgiveness for thoughtless words (or in my case, words said in haste).

    We are thrilled to be on this journey with you, John. Keep writing, please!

  60. A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all. Thank you John for your humility and honesty. Let’s all continue to emulate the one whose Life and Death showed us the way to our Father in heaven.

    Matt 20: 28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

  61. Thank you John— for the balance of faith, hope & charity you bring to every situation—even those that require judgment. We are called to hate the sin but love the sinner. Merry Christmas to you & your beautiful family. We look forward to your thoughts in the New Year ‼️

  62. God bless you and yours Mr John Kass Sir.

    We live in dangerous, evil times very similar to what went down in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe 100 years ago.

    My Russian grandfather was a teenager when the anti Christ Bolsheviks did their coup de tat and implemented their reign of terror. He fought in the White Army in the Russian Civil War. At lest good people like us in Russia then did resist, did fight the worst Communists, sadists, media liars in Russia and other places.

    I’m afraid we’re not going to be able to talk our way out of this #*$&# or find some savior(s) through an honest Chicago, Philly, New York City election. Sigh.

    Merry Christmas and let’s be prepared for rough times ahead.

    J
    Left Behind in Chicago

  65. Merry Christmas John,
    Each time I drive to Kirchbaum’s, Post Office or True Value, I go by your old house, wave at your spirit and wish you were still there, but I understand leaving Illinois.
    Good luck on your next surgery, and Happy New Year.

  67. Great Christmas writing John.
    I’m just one of many who subscribed in the past year because I wanted you to keep writing and commenting. Yes, you are imperfect like everyone, but we don’t quit because we fail at times, as you say, Americans never quit, we stumble and fall, but we get back up and back at it.

    May God Bless you, your family, all of your readers and everyone struggling in their Christian faith, hopefully all will succeed in keeping it, and passing it on to others who were never exposed to Jesus or Christianity.
    Tom L

  70. What a beautiful Christmas Eve column! Merry Christmas to you & your family, John. My subscription renewal just went thru & it’s columns like this that make me proud to subscribe. Thank you for reminding us to never give up hope. God bless.

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