Each year around Christmas there is a great hue and cry regarding how commercial Christmas has become and how the real symbols of this holy time are being abused and discarded in favor of more secular icons: the Christmas tree over the cross, Santa Claus over Christ, etc.

It is certainly no longer politically correct to wish others a "Merry Christmas". Now only "Season’s Greetings" is socially acceptable. There is even a substantial movement to forbid the Postal Service from using images of the Madonna and Child on our stamps.

Christianity is becoming unpopular.

I am not so sure this isn’t a good thing for Christians.

Some of the greatest spiritual growth within the church catholic has come when Christians were under some form of persecution. Some of the most beautiful and inspirational devotional writings have been produced by those saints who have been anything but popular in their day.

Maybe the time has come for us as well.

Maybe the time has come for those who call themselves Christians to stand up and be counted.

Maybe the time has come for Christians to place the things of faith higher on their priority list.

Maybe.