Shane MacGowan once said that he was the one that God would use to save Irish music. Despite a public persona that was often less than saintly, he grappled with faith in many of his iconic songs.

In “O Holy Night,” we are reminded of the promise of the Incarnation and its continuing resonance today.

Whether you know it as Kairos, Spark, Magis or Encounter, we bet there was a song playing in the background that involved a banjo, a scraggly-bearded lead vocalist and lyrics about finding yourself through struggle.

This is an image of Jesus, who is God, and he surely loves Taylor Swift the human woman. But he’s not a Swiftie; he’s the Lord.

I have learned to take Christmas carols seriously and to anticipate the epiphanies they may bear in my spiritual life.

American pop star Sabrina Carpenter filmed her most recent music video in a Catholic church, but Catholic iconography has long been the basis for pop songs with sexual themes and erotic imagery.