People should be more mindful to extend the Christmas spirit of giving and caring for families, friends and the rest of humanity year-round, area religious leaders plan to tell their flocks today.

Many of McHenry County’s pastors and priests will emphasize the need for a year-round Christmas spirit, especially in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting, during their annual Christmas sermons.

For the Rev. Steve Knox, this year’s sermon is about God’s underlying unity with the human spirit. Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., many people’s faith in humanity has been shaken, said Knox, the pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Huntley.