By FR. HENRY SALDITOS
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Sorrow and hope. These are feelings that characterize the days leading to Christmas 2021 amidst the pandemic. The year coming to an end has been marked by suffering, but also by the commitment of so many people striving to help those who are suffering. Christmas 2021 will be a very particular Christmas because of the pandemic and the threat of the Omicron variant.
Amidst all this suffering, the birth of Jesus brings this wounded humanity a message of HOPE that is needed more than ever. We should remember the original Christmas, when Christ was born, was not an ideal situation either. Israel was under some very difficult conditions of life, yet in that midst, the Son of God was born.
The problems and the sufferings of this year can help us focus on the message of hope and Christmas. What is it? It is—God comes to us. We will never be alone. Emmanuel: God with us. All other things with us: investments, achievements, gifts, our money…all will disappear. All “things” we associate with Christmas may disappear. But Jesus who comes as one of us, God with us, will remain with us forever. So that is our HOPE.
So I hope we, all of us, will strive to live every moment, every day of our lives, at peace with God and at peace with our neighbors. Let us not postpone the good things we could do now, little acts: a simple act of kindness, a little act of justice, a simple phone call, a smile, a remembrance. These things are important to do now.
Traveling from country to country, I always remember how creative Christians of different places and different generations are in celebrating Christmas.
This year, Christmas 2021 in the pandemic is calling for solidarity. I hope we will be creative, that we will be able to find ways, especially in reminding our brothers and sisters that they have a friend they can count on. Maybe, instead of saving money for myself, why don’t I save money for my neighbor who has none? Instead of having a feast for myself and my family alone, why not also order food for someone else or invite them to the feast? There are many, many ways, so that people will know and be able to say, “I have a brother, I have a sister, and I have a friend.”
I wish people to have the strength, the hope, the faith and the joy to make the New Year brighter. We cannot wait for outside factors to change. Maybe they will not change. But we can change our outlook and that will make the New Year brighter: our hope in Christ, our solidarity in Christ, our joy in Christ.
Have a BLESSED and HOPE-filled CHRISTMAS! Feliz Navidad! Maligayang PASKO!
