REFLECTIONS TODAY LUKE 2:1-14 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest/ and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Keeping the genuine spirit of Christmas

Our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord has undergone so much change that we wonder whether we may not have lost its essence. For one, there is that ever-growing interest in making it more commercial. Also, there is in some parts of the world an effort to equate it only with “holidays,” days of simply feasting, enjoying the snow, with Christ taken out of the scene. And there is also the overemphasis on what or how much or how many gifts one receives, again taking the focus out of the star of Christmas who is the Son of God born a lowly, poor human being. That there is an ever-growing interest in making Christmas more commercial is very clear (especially in the Philippines) from the introduction of Christmas symbols already as early as September. The malls are just too eager to welcome these “ber-months” so they can start alluring customers to start shopping for the Christmas holidays. While there may indeed be some genuine spiritual longing that is evoked in seeing these early symbols, what prevails is an atmosphere of making the most money out of the celebration. In the end, there is the danger of not living in the moment and respecting the rhythm of life in a year. What can be anticipated, perhaps, is the interior preparation on our part: how can we prepare better, both personally and communally, for the solemn feast of the birth of the Messiah? The increasing secularization of the world, especially in First World countries, also results in an effort on the part of some groups to reduce Christmas to simply “holidays,” a Christmas without Christ. It is then reduced to a social event, a family event, a time to feast on good food, giving gifts, enjoying the snow, etc. While these are experiences associated with Christmas, how can we truly have a Christmas celebration without Jesus, born in the manger, as the center? Christmas cannot be reduced to a vacation period, not even just a time for the families. In essence, it is a celebration of our salvation because God has decided to come down in his Son to save us. Finally, at Christmas, there is that predominant concern in many of us to collect gifts—as many as we can. While we give gifts to others, we also expect to receive gifts in return, and we feel bad if we receive “undesirable” gifts. In the process, Christmas for us becomes an opportunity to accumulate more things, and we fail to recognize the greatest gift that God has given us at Christmas: the gift of salvation in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. May our Christmas celebration be focused on Jesus, our Savior, the greatest gift we have received from the Father, not on the mere symbols of Christmas. May it be also a season of Christian joy, hope, and peace. SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.