CHRISTMAS GIFT:
Christmas season is a busy time. It makes one to think of “how to celebrate the Christmas nicely and in a grand way.†Traditionally Advent hymns were sung in preparation of Christmas. A season, where other festive celebrations like parish feasts, weddings or jubilees etc. were kept aside. To give the priority to the birth of Jesus. But today, for certain practical reasons. Advent preparations have taken a back seat. Of course, we should not lose the focus of Christmas.
What is the real beauty of Christmas? It contains in our whole-hearted openness to Christ in our life. His coming into our personal, family or professional life makes us indeed glad and celebrate His presence. With this gladness we worship Him, adore Him and rejoice in Him. We share this untold joy with our neighbors, friends, relations and also people of other faiths. Yes, in a very unique way this feast, infact the Divine Babe, brings people together in an amicable atmosphere. All the external forms and ways of decorating, making a crib, hanging up those stars, illuminations, colorful clothes, variety of sweets etc add more color to the festive mood. The night is further brightened with hundreds of serial lights’ illumination so that both during the day and night one could feel the solemnity of this great feast.
The original Christmas was simple and there were no exterior decorations or colorful looks. Jesus, the real Star of all the stars was born in a manger and He brightened the entire world and human lives. The full sky with all those beautiful stars adorned that tiny crib like a crown and the entire nature became his throne and cradle. Archangel Gabriel had come from heaven to handover that most precious gift of God “The Prince of Peace “and “the Savoir of the world†to Mary. Mary was the only privileged one to be the direct recipient of that Invaluable Gift of God. To honor Mother Mary as she delivers this unique gift of God there was that angelic choir from heaven singing the “Gloria in excelsis Deoâ€. Mary wraps this precious treasure in swaddling clothes before she gifts Him to us and the entire human race. That’s why Jesus is the REAL and TRUE Christmas gift of God the Father. And His love is so generous, great and unique He gifted His only Son for the sinners.
But sadly, we see the real focus sometimes is lost and the joy of Christmas is not sufficiently experienced. Christmas celebration today, not to generalize, but to speak realistically has lost its bliss. Inspite of good decorations and excellent cribs and beautiful way of designing them, have sometimes become disproportionate. Focus on marketing and external appearance have become more important. We take more time at ourselves in the mirror than to look at the Lord and shine forth with His radiance. Buying of new dresses, household articles for our close friends and dear ones have become a part of the Christmas celebrations. This is one of the ways to show our love, concern and gratitude for our relations and friends, but without losing the most precious gift Jesus. All the other gifts have their place and meaning if we have place for Jesus in our lives, hearts and minds.
In the past sending and receiving Christmas cards was very much part of Christmas celebrations. But today, with the development of electronic media this has become easier, cheaper and faster through internet, face book and mobile messages. Hence there is less usage of cards, or even postage system. And sadly enough quite a few of those cards are so lovely in their looks but there is neither picture of Jesus nor Joseph and Mary on them. While becoming modern and new it is important that we do not forget whose birthday we celebrate. We need to realize the fact, that because his birth we are lucky to have Christmas. We are lucky to have life in us and enjoy true freedom through Him. This will motivate us amidst all our external expressions of celebrations to give central place to Jesus even in our Christmas cards.
Another aspect of this great season is to make cribs or preparing and decorating the Christmas tree. Quite many cribs are artistically beautiful. St. Francis of Assisi considered the greatest love of God manifested in that most humble manger where Jesus was born. He had a deep sentiment of love and gratitude hence it is through his initiative the practice of crib making began. Yes, near the crib we are made to ponder upon with deep faith God still loves us and for our sake He is ready to do anything. It makes us to admire the greatness, the height and depth of his love. Who became a human person and much more a tiny babe in order to show us that He loves us in our weaknesses, our littleness and even in our ugliness! He emptied himself totally in order to fill us, enrich us and transform us. Yes it is good to stress on these points of reflection when various groups in our parishes or religions institutions are involved in crib making. Let us not make cribs merely for the sake of competitions but rather gratefully acknowledging the immeasurable love of the Father. And, not merely making cribs to place Jesus in it, rather placing the statues in the crib and placing Jesus in our hearts.
Another beautiful part of this celebration is sharing of sweets. God shared his heart with the fallen humanity, his unconditional love, His forgiveness, His very Spirit with all the gifts and fruits. Hence, in memory of that divine sharing we share his heart with the fallen humanity, his unconditional love, His forgiveness, His very Spirit with all the gifts and fruits. Hence in memory of that divine sharing we share our joy, love, friendship symbolically through sweets either prepared at home or bought. Both contain the same love. We prepare them at home, with love and care. Even if we buy the sweets we spend our money. We sacrifice our comfort and use that money which we have earned with hard works. With this sacrificial spirit and generosity we share Christmas love with one another.
I used to take the Seminarians to visit the neighbours and sing Carol songs a Santa Claus dancing and distributing sweets to the children. We used to take the Baby Jesus’ statue and after singing a few Carol songs we invite them to kiss the statue. One year it so happened that we reached a house, started singing and making a prayer. Santa Claus was dancing, then he began to distribute sweets but the sad part of it was that we had forgotten to take with us the statue of Baby Jesus. I felt ashamed of our preparation; we had everything else except Jesus. And we waited there singing a few more songs and I send Bro. to rush and bring Baby Jesus. Only when seminarians brought the statue for kissing we felt the Carol singing was meaningful and the people too felt really happy.
It is not the Santa Claus whom people long for but it is Jesus. When we go to greet people or exchange sweets or gifts let us take Jesus with us. Not that we all ought to carry with us little statues of Baby Jesus, rather we take in our hearts the warmth of His love, our goodness, genuine care and compassion. Let our Christmas visit be a real gift to them and not a customary rush visit with an excuse we have to go to many places or people are coming to visit us at home and so on. Jesus, came as Emmanuel to stay with us that we could feel His love and presence (Mt. 1:23). His coming brought joy, healing, strength, life and forgiveness. Mary’s visit with Jesus in her womb, heart, thoughts, words and deed gave Elizabeth and her babe in the womb a lasting joy (Lk 1:39-44), We could also recall the good things of each other, appreciate and encourage, understand and use supportive expressions which could enhance the Christmas joy.
We may not have a special gift to offer but may our good heart, good attitudes and humane gestures of love care and concern be special gifts to our family, community and to whom we reach out to greet. Jesus is the real Gift of Christmas. The three wise men from the East, led by that mysterious star reached the manger where the child was laid. “They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshipped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and presented them to him†(Mt 2:11). What gifts would Jesus, that “Gift of God†expect from us? Does He also look for our gold, silver or diamonds and so no? The only and the best gifts we can give him; are our lives and very specially our warm and genuine human hearts burning with ardent love for him and sincere love for one another. May we become like him, tiny Christmas gifts to one another.