Dr Sister Henrietta Gomez , SMRA
After a year once again our hearts are ringing with joy. Why? Today is our Savior's birthday. Whenever the month of December starts, it seems as if all the joys centering on Christmas begin to fill our hearts. But the question that arises in our mind is what does Christmas really mean? Is it a beautiful gift decorated under t Christmas tree? Is it decoration of our doors and windows with colourful lights? Is it sending Christmas cards and greetings in the mail? Is it having fun with family and friends and greeting our near and dear ones by saying ‘Merry Christmas’? Is this what Christmas really means?
For many people, Christmas passes in sadness because they do not have enough ability to give gifts to children, family and friends. Again, many people pass the day with a heavy heart, whose loved ones are far away from them and have no chance of coming home on Christmas. Yes, still Christmas is a time of great joy. It is a time when we contemplate God’s great love for us in our lives. We celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ on Christmas day, which God has given us as a great gift. The birth of Jesus truly brings us great joy. In the past 3 scholars, shepherds and angels were filled with joy when Jesus Christ was born because they knew it wasn’t the birth any ordinary child. It was the birth of a great Savior and it is a matter of great joy for all of us.
So, Christmas is such a wonderful time for us that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, whom God has given to us as an invaluable gift. So the birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate at this time is very significant. This day reminds us his way of life and his teaching and this is where we discover the true meaning of Christmas, the deep joy and its positive effect on the Christian life.
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2: 10-11)
The shepherds went to see Jesus, the Savior, in Bethlehem. When they got there, they saw the baby lying on a bed of straw and worshiped him. When the shepherds came back, they began to preach to everyone with joy about what they had seen. The shepherds had a deep joy in their minds that was truly indescribable. Today, like the shepherds, we celebrate a deep joy in our hearts we celebrate the birthday of our Savior. Now the question is why such an individual was born in this difficult and challenging world?
The only answer to this is the great plan of God and the ultimate and figurative manifestation of His infinite love for us. God sent Jesus so that one day he could grow up and play an important role in the history of earth and become the source of truth, love, joy and hope for all because without Jesus, we would perish in the darkness of sin.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)
That is why Christmas is a day of great joy for us as Jesus Christ came to us as the incredible gift of boundless love. So the true story of Christmas is - the true story of Jesus Christ who became man for us.
• Why did God do this? Because he loves us so much.
• Why do we need Christmas? Because we need a Savior.
• Why does God love us so much? Because God is love (1 John 4: 8).
• Why do we celebrate Christmas every year? Because of our heartfelt gratitude to God.
And that's why we give each other gifts of joy on the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. We take his blessings and go on to help the poor, disadvantaged people. In this context, the real meaning of Christmas is love. God gave us the gift of love for Jesus Christ. When we receive the gift of love, Jesus Christ, we too strive to bear the testimony of Christ with joy in our lives.
We see four visions of angels in the story of Christmas and another visit later on when the angel told Saint Joseph in a dream to return from Egypt to Israel. The visions of the angels are—
1. Angel Gabriel visits Zacharias and gives the news of John’s birth
2. Angel Gabriel informs Mother Mary about the birth of the Savior
3. The angels tell the shepherds the joyful news of the Jesus’ birth
4. The angel come into the vision of St. Joseph in his dream and tells him to take Mother Mary and the baby Jesus to flee to Egypt
At the center of this vision of angels is the vision that the angel gave to Maria, Joseph, and the shepherds. These 4 visions clearly tell us more than any other vision, the great truth and heavenly meaning of Christmas, the great joy for each one of us that engages our lives that is manifested in the form of the angels’ spreading the news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. Because the angel said, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2: 3).
Joy is great and wonderful experience of life. It is a fitting part of the life that greatly enhances the life. Each of us has a special Christmas experience. When everything goes well in life, we are happy, everything is good. But, when the situation goes adverse, the peace and joy of mind also disappears. This joy is from God and this source of joy is the ultimate manifestation of the love God has for us, sending Jesus into the world. We also have to experience the joy that Mother Mary, Saint Joseph and the shepherds experienced on Christmas day. The environment of Jesus’ birth was not so favorable. Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, was far from home - they had no place to give birth to Jesus. Yet there was great joy in the hearts of both of them that the birth of Jesus took place and that he is coming to save mankind. If this joy is in all of us, then we must glorify and praise God just like the angels and move forward in the life with peace of heart that deepens our appreciation and makes our life meaningful (James Boice, 2014).
Jesus Christ was born to establish the kingdom of the heavenly bliss. The glorious message of his birth, gives us a sense of impetus and improvement. He was born for us, lived among us, and died for us. What can we give him in return? What gift will we bear before him as we are the very humble? So with this poem on Christmas, I have to say with the voice of the English poet Christina Rosseth—
“What can I give Him?
Poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb
If I were wise man
I would do my part
Yet what can I give Him?
I give my heart’’-
Thomas Monson said, “We have to celebrate Christmas and it should be to practice love, joy and selfless love and the manifestation of its image. “Not to take but to give” is the full meaning of great Christmas. We are merciful to needy siblings on Christmas day, standing beside those who are deprived of love. Our heart melts for the good of others. We gain the courage to forgive our enemies, and remember friends. The joy and spiritual energy of Christmas opens the windows of our souls, enlightens us, and the true image of our souls shine before us. We can then see in the busy life on earth, the true spirit of being a human that touches our hearts and teaches us to care for each other.
So if we want to retain the true and real meaning of Christmas in our lives permanently, then our only meditation and enlightenment will be to devote our life to the service of spirituality. Only then the coming of Jesus Christ and the true meaning and profound joy of Christmas will be reflected in the daily life and service to each other.
Sources:
Article:
1. The Real and True meaning of Christmas by Martha Noebel, Retrieved on September 21, 2014
2. The Joy of Christmas by Dr. James Boice, Retrieved on 22 September, 2014
3. The Real Joy of Christmas by Thomas S. Monson, Retrieved on 24 September, 2014
4. Tillich, Paul. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), page 166.
Book:
The Holy Bible: The New Testament
Dr Sister Henrietta Gomez, SMRA is the Principal of St. Mary’s School and College with a PhD in Educational Management and Administration
