Xmas reflection

Christmas is a celebration of God entering the human journey to be with us and to bring us into an intimate communion with him. It is a celebration of love entering the world to renew it- the ultimate act of giving. The Supreme Being, out of love for us, humbled himself and became the Suffering Servant. Such love, so pure, so perfect and divine, such love manifest in giving... that is what Christmas is about. That is the message.

I shared Christmas lunch with my grandmother and my brother. A thought occurred to me, struck me suddenly. I thought how truly fortunate I was to be where I am. At that very moment, countless persons', fellow human beings, could not participate in the feeling of belonging, of family that I had. Countless children not only did not have a meal, at that very moment, but many suffered such hunger with crippling loneliness, having no family to share such a feast with. Do they know it's Christmas, I wondered. I made a pledge to fight depravity, yet I feel that I am doing close to nothing to honour that pledge. How many have this Christmas gone without a feast, or perhaps even without a family... without a sense of connection that recognizes our humanity. A connection that celebrates our human identity. Love is born today, in the humblest of surrounds, in the human heart. And it calls, it beckons each of us to reach out to each other, to connect with other human beings and together acknowledge our humanity through that connection. I think I understand now what I am meant to do if I am to truly 'love my neighbor'... I must connect with fellow persons'. That is what my pledge to fight depravity is about. It is not merely fighting depravity in physiological needs, but is also about fighting the depravity of the heart. How? By connecting with people. For through this connection, a sense of belonging, of solidarity, of recognition is born, and it is these feelings, these connections that we share that are central to our human identity.
I hope, it is my Christmas hope, that I can practice what I preach... that I can connect to persons', regardless of race, sex or social condition, regardless of cultural barriers, in a positive way.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Love is born today and everyday and calls us to love. Love is not love until you give it away. Once more, merry Christmas to all.