"Christmas is not a time; it is a state of mind." -- T-5.III.2:1
"Easter is not the celebration of the cost of sin, but of its end." -- T-20.I.5:1
"The song of Easter is the glad refrain the Son of God was never crucified." -- T-20.II.8:8
PART ONE: CHRISTMAS
I. Christmas as State of Mind
"Christmas is not a time; it is a state of mind. The Christ Mind wills from the spirit, not from the ego, and the Christ Mind is yours." (T-5.III.2:1-2)
II. The Star of Christmas
"The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside of yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come." (T-15.X.10:1-2)
"He comes demanding nothing. No sacrifice of any kind, of anyone, is asked by Him. In His presence, the whole idea of sacrifice loses all meaning, for He is Host to God." (T-15.X.10:3-5)
III. The Gift of Christmas
"This Christmas give the Holy Spirit everything that would hurt you. Let yourself be healed completely, that you may join with Him in healing. And let us celebrate your release together, by releasing everyone with us. Leave nothing behind, for release is total." (T-15.X.11:1-4)
"All pain and sacrifice and littleness will disappear in our relationship, which is as innocent as our relationship with our Father, and as powerful." (T-15.X.11:6)
IV. The Prince of Peace
"The Prince of Peace was born to reestablish the condition of love by teaching that communication remains unbroken even if the body be destroyed, provided that you see not the body as the necessary means of communication." (T-15.XI.4:2)
"The lesson I was born to teach, and still would teach to all my brothers, is that sacrifice is nowhere and love is everywhere." (T-15.XI.4:5)
V. The Time of Christ
"Let no despair darken the joy of Christmas, for the time of Christ is meaningless apart from joy. Let us join in celebrating peace by demanding no sacrifice of anyone, for so will you offer me the love I offer you." (T-15.XI.5:1-2)
"Such is the message of the time of Christ, which I give you that you may give it, and return it to the Father, Who gave it to me. For in the time of Christ, communication with Him is restored, and He joins us in the celebration of His Son's creation." (T-15.XI.5:4-5)
VI. The Holy Christ Is Born in Me Today
From Lesson 303, dictated shortly before Christmas:
"Watch with me, angels, watch with me today. Let all God's holy thoughts surround me and be still with me while Heaven's Son is born. Let earthly sounds be quiet and the sights to which I am accustomed disappear. Let Christ be welcomed where He is at home, and let Him hear the sounds He understands and see but sights which show His Father's love. Let Him no longer be a stranger here, for He is born again in me today." (W-pI.303.1:1-5)
"Your Son is welcome, Father. He has come to save me from the evil self I made. He is the Self that You have given me. He is but what I really am in truth. He is the Son You love above all things. He is my Self as You created me. It is not Christ that can be crucified." (W-pI.303.2:1-7)
The nativity is not merely a historical event two thousand years ago. It is an event that occurs in the mind -- now, today -- whenever Christ is welcomed home.
VII. The Babe of Bethlehem Reborn
"Here is the babe of Bethlehem reborn. And everyone who gives him shelter will follow him, not to the cross, but to the resurrection and the life." (T-19.IV.C.11:8-9)
Not to the cross. To the resurrection and the life.