Christ: The reason for the season

 
WELLNEWS

Victor Dumaguing

The joyous season of the year comes in various shapes and sizes, in different hues and color, in a myriad mixture of sounds and an array of mesmerizing lights. And don’t forget the seemingly endless, almost to a gluttonous proportion of gustatory delights that tickle as well as satiate even the most discriminating taste buds. Everyone in Christendom has his/her own way of celebrating; mansions almost aflame in sensoround LED lights, karaokes blaring ear-drum splitting Jingle Bells and enterprising tots knocking at every gate or door with the de riguer initial carol, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit. Christmas trees, whether inside the house or in the lawn have branches drooping with ornaments of crystals, ribbons and balls with a heap of wrapped gifts underneath.
    Shopping malls compete in proclaiming their supposed generous Holiday sales, enticing the gullible would-be buyer to part with a hard-earned salary or a much-anticipated bonus. Of course, traffic which has always been a daily problem becomes a monstrous obstacle pushing the patience and supposed Christmas spirit to its limit. Indeed, the spectacular and grandiose nature of the celebration rubs into everyone, so much so that even the humblest home or in the abode of informal settlers, there is a star or a lantern.
    In the flurry of hectic preparation for the noche buena when family and loved ones and dear friends gather  and after weeks of dressing up our homes in its most festive form, it is heart-warmingto note that still, many Filipinos have the Nativity as the center of their home .
Indeed, it is a reminder that Christmas is about Christ, nothing more, nothing less; that all these fun, laughter, joy and merry-making should revolve around Him, a grateful gesture for His birth into humankind. Christ came out of love.
    Unlike some mortals who claim to be of royal blue-blood, Christ came not as a prince, nor a king. Instead, in the most basic pastoral condition of a barn, He was born in a manger, not surrounded by the best obstetricians and pediatricians but animals, happy and glad to welcome His coming into this world. As we acknowledge Him to be the King of Kings, Christ did not come with the pomp and luxury befitted for an ordinary monarch who would have demanded and required them.
    In all simplicity and humility, Christ has shown us the real meaning of love, not only for those dear to our hearts but also our neighbors and a challenge to love even the less-lovable among us, including, for the sake of some, their mother -in-law. Christ has taught us the blessing of forgiveness, not an easy task for many of us, myself included, because of some hurting memories that still linger. Howver, after much thought, indeed, forgiveness liberates us from the cudgels of anger and rage and we feel an instant invigorating energy as we leave our hurt emotions into the healing miracle of prayer.
    As the song goes, “through the years, we all will be together”,, even with those viruses, because each one of us has drawn our personal strength- most people call it ‘resilience’- with a rock-solid faith that there is a loving and caring God that will see us through, that there is always a silver lining even in the darkest cloud we see. Hang in there
    A lot of people greet each other Happy Holidays. For me, Christ is the reason for the Season, Happy Birthday Jesus and to our dear readers, patients and friends, Have yourself a Merry Blessed Christmas!