“It’s Christmas time every time you smile at someone.
“It’s Christmas time every time you stop to listen to someone.
“It’s Christmas time every time you allow Jesus to love someone through you.”
– Mother Theresa
Such a frail woman with such powerful words! She managed to gather the true meaning of Christmas in just three simple sentences which I encountered while reading a book – Mother Teresa Angel of God – written by Fr Eugene Palumbo, S.D.B.
For what is Christmas without love, compassion, peace, joy and unity? It is just another public holiday given by the government for us to indulge in materialism, food and alcohol and wake up recounting the good time we had with our friends. Not that it is wrong to enjoy oneself at Christmas; not that it is wrong to recount the good time with friends. However, year after year, a lot of people leave the “Christ” out of Christmas and celebrate Xmas.
How many of us feel so empty and so sad during this festive season? A lot. No wonder, when you think about looking out of a window seeing families going shopping with a huge smile on their face, hearing Christmas carols blaring out from loudspeakers and every radio station, while you are “inside” cold and alone. It’s not a nice feeling at all to be lonely, feeling unloved during the holiday season.
Perhaps it’s time to return a bit to basics, even for the non-believers. Some would argue that the story of the Nativity, with the baby born on a cold night in a manger is nothing but a tale so badly retold in the Bible. To an extent, I’d say, fine with that, everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, Christmas should be about our basic needs, not commodities. There’s nothing wrong with having a fully decorated house; and there’s nothing wrong with going out for dinners. But while we do so, let’s keep in our hearts those who are sick, the lonely elderly, those who just broke up with their loved ones, those going through a tough time in their marriage, the poor at heart and the poor at pocket, and so many others who have nothing to put on the table for their kids to enjoy.
Throughout the weeks to come, through this section, timesofmalta.com will be highlighting charities in Malta that could do with a few euros spared from our spending. And before someone starts grumbling about not being able to enjoy Christmas as usual because of the price hikes in everyday cost of living, I’d say, you’re right, we are going to experience tough times, but before you turn yourself into Ebenezer Scrooge, spare two minutes and read through the lyrics of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas”... And “throw your arms around the world at Christmastime” for charity begins at home.