What is the Meaning of Christmas to you?

December 26th, 2009 → 1:07 am @ elmot

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What is the Meaning of Christmas to you?

Merry Christmas everyone! And may the birth of the savior bring peace, happiness and unending brightness of the star of hope on all our homes.

I have a simple yet very wonderful or I may say very meaningful celebration of Christmas. That is, being together with all our love ones on that very special day.

No, it is not I guess the colorful and glistening decorations and lights, nor the Christmas tree or carols filling the air that makes Christmas the way we wonderfully celebrate it.

The meaning of Christmas lies in the heart of each one of us; and we are the only ones could give an answer to how it truly bring meaning to our celebration, to our relationships and to our personal lives.

But beyond our individual walls of merry-making, there is a different face and meaning of Christmas for other people.

A day before Christmas, more than 1000 families were left homeless in Makati and Pasig areas as fire razed down to burn their homes into ashes. Noche Buena for them was spending it on a vacant lot with shanties and gymnasiums; with only a handful of personal belongings they could call their material treasures.

I don’t know what Christmas means to them.

A day before Christmas, a passenger wooden ferry Catalyn B was taking passengers into a tiny island village to celebrate the special day with their families when it collided with a fishing vessel. 46 people were fished out of the sea, 3 people died and 23 more still missing.

I think Christmas will never be the same for these people.

Thousands of families living near the Mayon Volcano celebrated Christmas away from their homes; on congested evacuation centers in order to evade the wrath of the fuming Mayon Volcano.

The victims of Typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy, who lost their loved ones and properties from the raging waters and mud.

And the families of the 57 victims and still 3 missing people of the Maguindanao Massacre celebrated Christmas with justice still so distant.

I don’t know what Christmas means to them.

Christmas is the birth of the savior one cold night on a humble state on this imperfect world. Once, I asked a group of students, “Do you think God could have saved us without even being born as a man and crucified in the cross?” Some said no, some said yes, said just did not even bother to answer.

I think God could have just even snapped his fingers and saved us all-together. But he chose to be amidst us, getting clothed with our very own human state in order for us to see, to know, to feel that he is with us, among us and one with us.

Surely, Christmas for all these people who had lost their loved ones is a very difficult truth to reckon with. And I don’t know exactly know what Christmas this time around means to them or how they celebrated, but I think the pangs of loneliness haunt them.

My family is complete, we are all healthy, something served on the table to share on Christmas eve and away from danger. To this I am thanking the Creator with humility.

What is the meaning of Christmas to you this year?

In our individual celebrations of Christmas, together with little prayers tucked in our hearts; let us include these people who we also call our brothers and sisters, that the light of hope that gave direction to the three magi may also shine on them.

Image from Filipino Food

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