Joyful, Joyful

Ave Maria

Hello good brothers and sisters..praying we all had a joyful Christmas - and here is the good news-- it ain't over yet well here especially in our country 'Pinas - Christmas is celebrated a longgggg time. But when exactly does Christmas start and end?

In the Roman Catholic church-- The Christmas season begins with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Christmas day, or as a vigil on Christmas Eve. The Feast of Christmas lasts 12 days, until Epiphany. However, the time from Epiphany until the Baptism of the Lord is also included in the Christmas season....  let's wish and hope tho'  that the habit of emphasizing that the Christmas season is coming soon  isn't mainly to stir up sales in malls, markets -- commercialism quite blatant... And really it is better to prepare our hearts rather than our pockets.. better to remember the One celebrating His birthday on Christmas ..

It is so amazing how many cultures/nations  have borrowed Christmas , but not the totality of it, not its true meaning and essence - Just a 'safe' portion of it --- in a newspaper article the other day - I saw elephants wearing their Christmasy red costumes , they seemed to be performing a dance or a cute trick , it was a picture taken in Thailand --- with a caption that said it was an effort to promote Christmas there 

 

 -- hmmmm... here's  hoping and I wish there was more info ...that they wanted to promote the Birth of our Saviour -what it means for the whole human race ... and not just BORROW the holyday and turn it into a mere holiday -- basta cgue lang merrymaking, gift-giving ...entrepreneurs finding a most useful tool to increase their profits hehe --- a kind of aggressive romanticism really wherein one likes the idea of Christmas for the temporary break in monotony of life --- happily welcoming the kababawan --- merriment, noise, the excuse to shop, the tinsel , vivid colors and lights , enjoying the blurry company of people thru endless partying.

Have you experienced office Christmas parties .. or Christmas gatherings where the celebration was Everything, Anything except about Jesus -- endless games, in corporate offices would be typical sexy games - not even merely suggestive but outright very errr ...i am at a loss for words...well in Pilipino ..it is bastos na ...ahhh vulgar... yet we have been blinded and immuned to go along with the flow and so we think it is not naman vulgar or bastos but just really merely funny or cute --- huh, ano???

 And we sing and dance and revel till the cock crows, eat drink and be merry and we go home quite tired, depleted, nursing hang-overs,  even unhappy --- wondering where the unhappiness or emptiness  came from 

eh kaka party nga lang, ba't ganon?

  Well we can sing and dance rejoice and exchange gifts but do this all in the spirit of gratefulness that God sent us Jesus to redeem us from our sins... to bring light to a world darkened by evil.  

Well then... if we must have Christmas let us go back to how the first Christmas was celebrated.

The Belen : this Nativity scene brought back to life by statues or figurines helps remind us of the characters in Christmas -- whether this be Joseph, Mary ..the shepherds..the three wise men, the angels.... and quite possibly the animals present then  ---they must have had common denominators... They all believed and loved God , they recognized and adored Him...they were in search of more important things -- forgiveness, hope, love, salvation, peace ... all good things that only God can give. Perhaps they all had humble hearts -- hearts that realized human weakness , flaws

  --- Fr Uly so beautifully put it this way --- We must have humble hearts if we are to recieve a humble GOD . Because Jesus was so humble. He humbled himself to help us be rid of all our pride and vanities... to restore us to goodness..to holiness even. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Christmas is not over yet so let us make the most of it ...giving time for prayer and quiet reflection..listening..listening for God's word and then obeying , doing what God commands us to do --- He will most certainly talk to us, get His message into our coconuts if we truly seek Him in prayer -- and we must not rush the Lord --- go and rush everyone else but not GOD except perhaps during emergencies hahaha -- then it's ok to holler : "Yo , GOD I need some major help down here "   Otherwise it is beautiful and wise to grow slowly but surely in our prayer life.

Christmas Day at Violago was a gift from the Lord. ..perhaps a fruit harvested from the Simbang Gabi   God puts certain people in our life ... since ours is a very small family just Dil, me and Joshua : we welcome each year whomever the Lord sends -- there will be years when  it will be relatives ... but in recent yrs the Christmas guest list has been brothers and sisters -- from our community ...and then dear Lola Lina our dear old yaya always waits for her 'tribe' to arrive: Edgar and his  children Mei-mei , Baby Ann - their mom working in Saudi.. Mila with hubby Allan and four very boisterous chubby energetic children in tow.... This year our visitors were Sis Lyn and her  grown up sons, plus nephew Andrei , wife Mary and  her  babies ....Sis Lovely and Bea - member of our music ministry ... Bro. Don Ross, an American missionary Ate Juaning,  also from our community , Ging ... It was utter chaos -- I mean we can't ever have elegant table settings with everything in place --- oh no sirree -- not when the children are here--it is mayday mayday hahaha - Edgar drives a taxi, Mila's husband works in a barber shop ..their income meagre but it is amazing how the children have grown up so healthy, vivacious -- so full of life ---God is good --how He provides , how He hears lola Lina's prayers... Ate Juaning said God sent his angels because indeed innocent children are like angels...This is the party where the guests will help chop  the veggies, wash the dishes --- Jesus is present.. it is lovely, just lovely... No expensive gifts here ... but there was just enough food ... and then plenty of love and good cheer.

There was time to pray, always - we do this each year before we part ways, a practice from Mama Lydia,  -- I love it when  Bro Don and Ate Juaning are always around, they help give the  exhortation , prayers, reflection -- there was short sharing from each one after the gospel was read ... contrary to what we think and feel : people do welcome       a moment of prayer and reflection ... just pray for it to happen and the Lord helps us push the right buttons...and your Christmas fellowship happens  after all --- Jesus is the Celebrant , He would want to be the Center of Attraction, right?     

Everyone who shared mentioned  being in the midst of grave challenges this past year , even severe tests..but all put their trust in the Lord...Ate Juaning reminding the younger ones that   God can draw much good even from our sufferings. .. So let us dig deeper into the treasures of the Christmas season...God has a lot of  wonderful gifts in store for us but His greatest gift is : JESUS 


 Merry Christmas and a Grace-filled year to all ....... te mye