This year's Christmas is being celebrated in a world afflicted by a grave economic crisis that is causing so much suffering in many parts of the globe. Three reactions are possible in this scenario.
Many are allowing themselves to be overcome by fear and are losing hope in the future. Fear is a paralysing and negative force. Cruising down this road leads only to disaster.
For others it will be business as usual. Alienation reigns supreme. They will not let the economic crisis mess around with this annual opportunity for frenzied buying, gift exchange and material merry making. An English newspaper announced that Britons are taking a record amount of holidays this Christmas and spending £500 million on parties.
The hedonism and consumerism which, for quite a number of years, has become the hallmark of Christmas, will still be the main characteristic of most people in countries where Christ even became a foreign element to Christmas!
There is a third possibility. The present international austere financial situation can be a good time to stem the tide of the commercialisation of Christmas and instead focus on the real significance of this big event: Christ became a tangible, concrete human person, the supreme gift of the Father to humanity. This biggest gift of all is ours for the taking and not even the economic crisis can take it away from us.
In the Christ Child, God humbly knocks on people's doors to offer meaning in their life and the free gift of salvation. As Pope Benedict said in his weekly address last Wednesday, those who accept this gift will rediscover God and, consequently, will rediscover the warmth of simplicity, friendship, family and solidarity. In this perspective, merry making is changed into joy and happiness and a deeper dimension is added to gift giving and receiving. This happens because gift giving and receiving will be seen as a participation in the supreme gift: Christ for us.
This gift will only be received by those who are ready to give to others the warmth of simplicity, friendship, family and solidarity. Only those who transcend themselves and their desires to look at the needs of others and lend them a helping hand can discover the true spirit of Christmas. The contemplation of the birth of Christ in a lowly grotto is an occasion to think and do something about the plight and hopes of so many people suffering near and afar.
A list of all these needs and opportunities for helping others during the Christmas season would take more than the space available in these columns, so just a few will be highlighted here: L-Istrina, the RTK campaign for families in need, Id-Dar tal-Providenza open day, the NGOs working with illegal immigrants, those working with children in need, the lesser known NGOs that never make the headlines, many activities on the parish level, etc. There are then families and individuals in need that each of us might know about.
Helping these is perhaps the easiest part of the fulfilment of the Christmas spirit of altruism. The more difficult part is not giving money. There are many who do not require money but have other more urgent needs as they are lonely, sad, hurt and feel abandoned. The more difficult part has to do with the giving of one's time, care, attention and love.
The only way towards a Happy Christmas lies through an open and welcoming heart.