Guthrie talks spirituality on holidays

Even before he was a big leaguer, Jeremy Guthrie had his life in perspective. Guthrie, who spent time during college to serve a Mormon mission, recently took a brief timeout to discuss the holiday season, a subject that's close to his heart.

MLB.com: What does the holiday season mean to you in a nutshell?

• ARI: Conor Jackson • ATL: Blaine Boyer • BAL: Jeremy Guthrie • BOS: M. Delcarmen • CHC: Kevin Gregg • CWS: John Danks • CIN: Jay Bruce • CLE: Ryan Garko • COL: Clint Barmes • DET: Nate Robertson • FLA: Josh Johnson • HOU: Chris Sampson • KC: Trey Hillman • LAA: Ron Roenicke • LAD: Andre Ethier • MIL: Seth McClung • MIN: Joe Nathan • NYM: Mike Pelfrey • NYY: Brian Bruney • OAK: J. Duchscherer • PHI: Jimmy Rollins • PIT: Frank Coonelly • SD: Chase Headley • SF: Sergio Romo • SEA: Don Wakamatsu • STL: John Roney • TB: Grant Balfour • TEX: Ian Kinsler • TOR: Rod Barajas • WAS: Steven Shell

Guthrie: For me, it's a celebration of Christ and his birthday. It's a time to be grateful for what we have, and most importantly, grateful for his sacrifice. It's a time to reflect on that and hopefully to spend time with family and friends.

MLB.com: You're a spiritual guy year-round. Is this time of year even more special?

Guthrie: I think it's certainly heightened during this season, and not just here. I think it's heightened all over the world. It's a great season, and that's why it's called "the most wonderful time of the year." Whether your belief is super-strong or moderate, everyone pauses to reflect on their spirituality. And for Christians, that means what Jesus did for us.

MLB.com: Do you have any favorite holiday memories that you can share?

Guthrie: Nothing specific. I think some of my favorite memories of Christmas come from when I was in Spain on a Mormon mission, and they do a really nice job of commemorating Jesus and remembering his birth. Most cities have live nativities with live sheep and goats right in the middle of the city. It's a really neat time.

They have a lot of lights and it's really festive. It's really focused on what Christmas is all about, so those are some of my fondest memories -- the two years that I spent in Spain during Christmas.

MLB.com: What about favorite Christmas traditions? Favorite movies or songs?

Guthrie: I'd say "Home Alone" is my favorite Christmas movie. My wife enjoys the music and I enjoy the movie. Between those two things, we enjoy the season pretty good.

MLB.com: And has the season changed since you became a father?

Guthrie: Yeah, now I have to watch "Home Alone" 20 times instead of just once.