It is in giving that we receive, Francis of Assisi said. It is in that spirit that we should celebrate Christmas.
The main message of Christmas is peace and hope. The world over yearns for love, solidarity, mutual understanding and a genuine will to work together.
Malta too desires peace and looks forward to turn the material well-being it is experiencing into a better life for all. But for that to happen one and all must be willing to heed Francis’s advice to give rather than just receive.
Emersed in an environment that projects wealth, well-being and a high standard of living one can easily be misled into think that all is well and that nobody needs help or, worse, that the daily difficulties faced by those failing to make ends meet are self-inflicted. Pope Francis echoed what the humble man from Assisi said about the spirit of Christmas when he told the weekly general audience at the Vatican last Wednesday that it will not be Christmas if people looked only for the “shimmering glow of the world” and filled themselves with presents and fancy meals but failed to help “at least one poor man”.
“Christmas is the payback of humility over arrogance, of simplicity over abundance, of silence over hubbub, of prayer over ‘my time’, of God over my ego,” he said.
The “shimmering glow of the world”, “the noisiness of consumerism”, the “anxieties of daily life” do not allow us to stop and think about others, indeed, even about ourselves to reflect whether we actually lack qualities we never think about or, because of denial, think we possess. These are qualities that give man true dignity.
“Be silent in front of the nativity,” the Holy Father said. “This is an invitation for Christmas, take some time. Go before the nativity and stay in silence.”
Archbishop Charles Scicluna too urged the faithful to have some moments of silent reflection. Noting that this year happens to be the 200th anniversary since one of the most famous Christmas carols of all times was written – Silent Night – he augured that, in silence, one would find oneself and derive the strength to have the sort of “necessary and useful love to be able to pardon and love others”.
Pardoning and genuinely loving others is not easy in this materialistic world we live in where instant gratification and the here-and-now are the orders of the day. We get lost in worlds we create for ourselves through the social media and technology. That cuts us away from the reality of everyday life and make us insensitive to the cries for help by people even close to us.
We have learnt of children from families facing social and financial difficulties who could not even afford ferry tickets to spend some time together in Gozo, a boy whose parents were hospitalised and he was taken to a home but was unable to purchase a Tallinja card so he can visit them and a young animal lover in search of a work experience in a pet shop or an animal sanctuary. Thankfully, they were lucky and found generous sponsors.
But not all do and many, including grown-ups, continue to face solitude. This also happens in Christmas, especially at Christmastime, which should be the best time to give rather than receive.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial