The real message of Christmas
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No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor, said Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El-Salvadore, who was martyred while offering Holy Mass. He said: The self-sufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even for God, for them there will be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to live on their behalf will have that someone. That someone is God, Emmanuel, God-with-us. Without poverty of spirit there can be no abundance of God.
Glory to God in high Heaven and peace on earth to men that are Gods friends. We are in the twenty-first century, and yet, the echo of the Angels message still rings in our hearts. There is a mystery at Bethlehem. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. Lk. 2:7
In these years, if you go to see, we have lost the real meaning of Christmas. For most of us, Christmas means only a day worldly rejoicing without any relation to Christ who was born poor and showed his special love and kindness to the orphans, destitutes, poor, abandoned ones, whom the world deems a burden to the society.
St. John the Evangelist, in his writings says: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that all might be saved. The first message of Christmas, which Baby Jesus gave us was of: Love, Joy and Peace. But what we see today. There is no real love, Joy and peace to the world. The world leaders talk of peace, but there is no peace everywhere in the world. Instead of peace we find in many places killings and other acts of terrorism. But we can have peace and live in peace only if we remember that all men and women are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Heavenly Father. Peace is a gift of God.
Mother Teresa (now Blessed Mother Teresa) whilst receiving the 1969 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding said: This award is not given to me but to thousands and thousands of people who long for love. Thank you for choosing me to carry this message of your concern and love for them, and speaking further Mother Teresa reminded to the world that we will be judged not on how much we have done, but how much we have loved. Love to be true, has to be shown to ones neighbour. It has to be built on sacrifice. One has to love until it really hurts. In Goa, if we visit the houses of Missionaries of Charity, i.e. sisters of Mother Teresa, in Carambolim, Cotto-Fatorpa, Quepem and Panjim, we will see in our own eyes that these sisters are doing the same, i.e. they love and work for the poor. And finally Mother Teresa said: the poor are wonderful people, great people, if you know them, you love them. The greatest reward which I received has come in the form of enrichment of love returned that the poor has given me.
If we see around us in Goa today, we will come to know or we will see that many of our brothers and sisters do not have a home or shelter to stay, do not have a cloth to cover the body, do not have a food to appease the hunger. It is not a test of your faith and charity? We have ever thought of these brothers and sisters? God gave us so much and how much did we share with our needy brothers and sisters? Jesus, Himself has assured us: Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they pour into your laps. For with what measure you measure, it shall measured to you. Luke 6:38.
As we are celebrating the great feast of Christmas, let us read the inspired words of St. James: What will it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but does not have works? Can the faith save him? And if a brother or a sister be naked and in want of daily food, and one of you say to them: Go in peace, be warmed and filled yet you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what does it profit? So faith too, unless it has works, is dead in itself. James 2: 14-17.
Let us try to evince in our daily life the lessons we learn from Baby Jesus in the crib. As we know the first Christmas took place in a setting of poverty and privation. But there was joy, peace and goodwill. Let us try to cultivate these virtues as this is the Real Message of Christmas.
In these years, if you go to see, we have lost the real meaning of Christmas. For most of us, Christmas means only a day worldly rejoicing without any relation to Christ who was born poor and showed his special love and kindness to the orphans, destitutes, poor, abandoned ones, whom the world deems a burden to the society.
St. John the Evangelist, in his writings says: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that all might be saved. The first message of Christmas, which Baby Jesus gave us was of: Love, Joy and Peace. But what we see today. There is no real love, Joy and peace to the world. The world leaders talk of peace, but there is no peace everywhere in the world. Instead of peace we find in many places killings and other acts of terrorism. But we can have peace and live in peace only if we remember that all men and women are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Heavenly Father. Peace is a gift of God.
Mother Teresa (now Blessed Mother Teresa) whilst receiving the 1969 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding said: This award is not given to me but to thousands and thousands of people who long for love. Thank you for choosing me to carry this message of your concern and love for them, and speaking further Mother Teresa reminded to the world that we will be judged not on how much we have done, but how much we have loved. Love to be true, has to be shown to ones neighbour. It has to be built on sacrifice. One has to love until it really hurts. In Goa, if we visit the houses of Missionaries of Charity, i.e. sisters of Mother Teresa, in Carambolim, Cotto-Fatorpa, Quepem and Panjim, we will see in our own eyes that these sisters are doing the same, i.e. they love and work for the poor. And finally Mother Teresa said: the poor are wonderful people, great people, if you know them, you love them. The greatest reward which I received has come in the form of enrichment of love returned that the poor has given me.
If we see around us in Goa today, we will come to know or we will see that many of our brothers and sisters do not have a home or shelter to stay, do not have a cloth to cover the body, do not have a food to appease the hunger. It is not a test of your faith and charity? We have ever thought of these brothers and sisters? God gave us so much and how much did we share with our needy brothers and sisters? Jesus, Himself has assured us: Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they pour into your laps. For with what measure you measure, it shall measured to you. Luke 6:38.
As we are celebrating the great feast of Christmas, let us read the inspired words of St. James: What will it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but does not have works? Can the faith save him? And if a brother or a sister be naked and in want of daily food, and one of you say to them: Go in peace, be warmed and filled yet you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what does it profit? So faith too, unless it has works, is dead in itself. James 2: 14-17.
Let us try to evince in our daily life the lessons we learn from Baby Jesus in the crib. As we know the first Christmas took place in a setting of poverty and privation. But there was joy, peace and goodwill. Let us try to cultivate these virtues as this is the Real Message of Christmas.
- Forwarded by www.goa-world.com
This first of its kind Gulf-Goans e-newsletter archived at www.yahoogroups.com/group/gulf-goans is dedicated to Goans around the Globe and is moderated/edited by Gaspar Almeida (since 1994) and presented by Ulysses Menezes, owner of http://www.goa-world.com website.
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