It’s a constant source of fascination to me to see what people get 
steamed up about. Just in time for the holidays, the outrage du jour is the Pope “cancelled” Christmas.
There are some folks out in the wilds of the internet who are all bummed out that Pope Benedict XVI, who you’ll remember was a college professor, tried to shed some light on the birth of Jesus Christ. Very timely idea, no?
His new book, Jesus of Nazareth – The Infancy Narratives (available here), looks at the gospel accounts of the Savior’s birth, and separates what we know, based on those accounts, from what tradition has handed down to us. Such as the fact that Jesus was probably born in a cave and there might not have been animals around. The Boo-hooing, Biddies of Blogdom accuse the Pope of trashing the traditional Christmas crèche! And they go on to complain that he dumped all over the practice of caroling, and so on.
Put down the mouse, and back away. Take a breath. Better?
No, he didn’t. Instead, like a good father, the Pope (shepherd to ~billion souls) helps us to understand our traditions of observance by fusing history with the bible, all the while integrating faith and deeper spiritual truths.
The “Jesus of Nazareth” series of books is the Holy Father’s magnum opus. Joseph Ratzinger the man, humbly invites us to walk along with him as he relates what he’s learned in a long life spent getting to know the Lord; talking about Him and teaching about Him. The books are excellent by the way, without the slightest whiff of academic pretentiousness. I highly recommend them.
This volume, like the ones that came before it, are not meant to be dogma—far from it. They are a star for a modern-day wise man to follow. A star whose light guides that man to the miracle of the incarnate God.
Rather than freak out about whether Rudolph’s nose is real or not, we would do well to follow that star ourselves, and see where it leads us.
