It is natural for Christians to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. They owe him an immeasurable debt of gratitude for his exemplification of the Christ, Truth, and for his marvelous career characterized by works of healing. They are aware of the importance of his appearing on the human scene and pay him homage for his unique contribution to the salvation of mankind.

While honoring Jesus with deep sincerity, the teachings of Christian Science stress the spiritual message of Christmas as the coming of the Christ to human consciousness to heal disease and destroy discord and sin.

The activity of the healing Christ had its highest and fullest expression in the life and works of Jesus, but its operation in human experience was not, and is not, confined to him. The Christ, the incorporeal Saviour, has come in some measure to spiritually–minded men and women throughout the ages to be expressed by them in works of healing. And not only in physical healings but in the healing of general ills and the solving of problems that flesh is heir to.

The coming of the Christ is a daily and hourly event to be experienced by those who are spiritually prepared to receive it and share it with others. And this spiritual preparation is available to all of us as we purify our thinking and consecrate our lives.

How can we more deeply and joyously celebrate Christmas and honor the master Christian? One way is to make sure our daily lives give an affirmative answer to these questions that Mrs. Eddy presents to us in Science and Health: "Ask yourself: Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good? Am I demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love?" ^{Science and Health, p. 496;}

Are we healing ourselves? Are we healing others? Are we helping to heal the world's ills? Unless we are, we are not truly observing Christmas—not truly observing the coming of the healing Christ to the world. To guide us in our endeavor to get a better concept of how we can observe Christmas, these words of Mrs. Eddy's are helpful: "I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity, letting good will towards man, eloquent silence,prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth's appearing." ^{The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 262;}

This more spiritual view of Christmas doesn't mean that one shouldn't join in the joy and good cheer of the Christmas season. It means, in fact, that we can do so more genuinely. It doesn't mean that we can't remember others appropriately and lovingly—especially the children. Christ Jesus gave us reason to be joyous when he said, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." ^{John 16:33;}

We come to realize that what we call the coming of the Christ is not so much a coming as an awakening to the presence of that which has always been with us—the truth of man's unity with God and of spiritual perfection as a consequence of this oneness.

We can express the healing Christ, Truth, that meets humanity's need for love and spiritual understanding. The Christ, or divine Spirit, when understood, destroys mortal error and brings to light the present reality of God's omnipotent goodness and man's spiritual identity as His perfect reflection. In terms of our present experience, this means that we help bring about more peace, harmony, and freedom from material limitation in human lives.

Our recognition of the world's great need for the healing Christ, and our yearning to see this need met, should not tempt us to believe in the reality of the discord or evil that is to be destroyed. This is basic problem that has trapped countless well–intentioned people in all ages—doctors in fighting disease and social workers in fighting poverty and crime. They have assumed a reality in these evils, or in the basic concept of existence as mortal, and then tried to get rid of evils and discords—as if what is real could be destroyed.

We learn in Christian Science the method of the healing Christ. The Christ awakens us to the unreality of evil in all its forms and to the reality of good. A hymn speaks of this awakening :

We can bring the greatest happiness to the Christmas season, and to every day of the year, by entertaining the healing Christ in consciousness, cherishing it, and expressing it in our thoughts and deeds as Jesus did. This is the true spirit of Christmas.