O come, all ye faithful and read religious Christmas quotes that capture the true essence of the holiday
55 Beautiful Religious Christmas Quotes That Capture the Spirit of the Holiday
Updated on Nov. 11, 2024
Heartwarming religious Christmas quotes
1. “Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.” —Pope Francis
2. “God rest ye, merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas day.” —Dinah Craik
3. “He is the light of mankind shining in the darkness, giving meaning to human existence and to the whole of history.” —Pope Francis
4. “Christmas invites us to reflect, on the one hand, on the drama of history, in which men and women, wounded by sin, ceaselessly search for truth, search for mercy and search for redemption; and, on the other hand, on the goodness of God, who has come towards us to communicate to us the truth that saves and to make us sharers in His friendship and His life.” —Pope Francis
5. “Oh! like a wreath, let Christmas mirth/To-day encircle all the earth/And bind the nations with the love/That Jesus brought from heaven above.” —Maud Lindsay
6. “Jesus, in the crib, shows us the way of tenderness to be close to each other, to be human.” —Pope Francis
7. “Let us open to Him, to Christ, the door of our consciousness, of our personal, family and social life.” —Pope Paul VI
8. “When compassion for the common man was born on Christmas Day, with it was born new hope among the multitudes.” —Frank Laubach
9. “He does not come to take away, but to give! He does not come to obstruct our freedom, our activity, or our humanity.” —Pope Paul VI
10. “This gift of grace we receive through the simplicity and humanity of Christmas, can remove from our hearts and minds the pessimism.” —Pope Francis
11. “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.” —Mother Teresa of Calcutta
12. “We can overcome that sense of disquieting bewilderment, not letting ourselves be overwhelmed by defeats and failures, in the rediscovered awareness that that humble and poor Child, hidden away and helpless, is God Himself, made man for us.” —Pope Francis
13. “Christmas has been a season of mixed interests and meanings, but the very foundation, of course, is its religious significance. No matter what other personal desires or crises we have faced, I’ve never forgotten that this is the time to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, and the impact of this event on the history of the world.” —Jimmy Carter
14. “Christmas must not be reduced to a sentimental or consumerist festival, full of gifts and good wishes but poor in Christian faith.” —Pope Francis
15. “Let us ask for the grace of wonder in the face of this mystery, this reality so tender, so beautiful, so close to our hearts, may the Lord give us the grace of wonder, to meet Him, to draw close to Him, to draw close to all of us.” —Pope Francis
16. “Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.” —Joel Osteen
17. “On this day, Christians reflect on their faith and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This occasion inspires families and communities to come together, share what they have, and give back to those less fortunate.” —Justin Trudeau
18. “The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.” —J.I. Packer
19. “Christ has come —He who today is our saviour, but tomorrow our judge. Let us not reject Him. Let us not ignore Him.” —Pope Paul VI
20. “Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever.” —Joel Osteen
21. “The voice of the Apostles was not enough, the blood of the martyrs was not enough, the wisdom of a whole civilization that called itself Christian was not enough, a whole history clothed in sanctity and beauty and imbued with the morality of Christianity and humanity was not enough to keep for Christ, in modern society, not a temporal kingship, which He does not seek, but an affectionate spiritual welcome for the Christ of the ages.” —Pope Paul VI
Bible Christmas quotes about the meaning of Christmas
22. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” —James 1:17
23. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” —Matthew 6:2
24. “And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.'” —Luke 2:10
25. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” —Luke 2:20
26. “Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” —Proverbs 11:25
27. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.” —John 14:27
28. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” —1 Timothy 1:15-17
29. “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'” —Luke 10:27
30. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” —Acts 20:35
31. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” —Matthew 6:2
32. “Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” —Proverbs 11:25
33. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” —Acts 20:35
34. “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'” —Luke 10:27
35. “A merry heart does good like medicine.” —Proverbs 17:22
36. “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” —Romans 12:10
37. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” —Psalm 34:8
38. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” —Philippians 2:8-10
39. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” —Romans 6:23
40. “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” —Isaiah 40:3
41. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” —John 1:14
42. “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.'” —John 8:42
Bible Christmas quotes about the birth of Jesus
43. “The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.'” —Luke 1:30-31
44. “And the angel answered and said unto her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'” —Luke 1:35
45. “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” —Luke 2:7-9
46. “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” —Luke 2:12
47. “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'” —Matthew 1:20-21
48. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” —Matthew 1:23
49. “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.'” —Matthew 2:1-2
50. “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” —Matthew 2:11
51. “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” —Revelation 12:5
52. Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
53. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16
54. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteousness and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” —Zechariah 9:9
55. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16
Celebrate the holidays, not only with religious Christmas quotes, but with powerful Christian quotes that’ll inspire you daily too!
Additional reporting by Kelly Kuehn.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite quotes for over 100 years. The sayings and quips that appear in the magazine’s “Quotable Quotes” (formerly “Remarkable Remarks”) are curated from interviews and essays originally published in the magazine, reprints from trusted titles and other verified sources. For this piece on religious Christmas quotes, Associate Editor Mariah Thomas tapped her experience as a lifestyle writer and editor to ensure that all information is accurate. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
