Jesus: The Reason For The Season

Do you want to see the humility of God? Look in the manger and see him lying there. Surely this is our God. Seeing an infant, I wonder how this could be the one who says, "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" I see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Is this the one who is clothed in the beautiful glory of unapproachable light? Listen! He is crying. Is this the one who thunders in the heaven making the angels lower their wings? Yes, but he has emptied himself in order to fill us. - Guerric of Igny, Liturgical Sermons

This is my favorite season of the year. Unfortunately it is also my busiest, thus taking away some of the joy from the festive mood. With school out I have to think of with ways to keep the children occupied and entertained, which can be a real challenge cos kids these days are not as easily contented as we used to be. Shopping for gifts can also turn out to be more of a chore than a joy when I've got whole list of people on my list. Therefore I've decided to make my list the shortest possible this year. However there is still the Christmas tree and decorations to put up and take down after everything is over. More work. Perhaps I should count the years as a cycle of 7 years and dedicate every seventh year as Sabbath year where I get to celebrate the season without any of these traditions which has no real significance to the real meaning of Christmas. I do not deny they are fun to have and adds to the festive mood. I mean, can you imagine Christmas with no decorated Christmas trees, gifts and goodies and Orchard Road stripped of all the lights and decorations? It'd be - BORING. So I'm not against all these. Perhaps the trick is to let the people who see Christmas as a money-machine get busy with the outward aspect of creating a festive atmosphere while we just soak in the moment and enjoy them with our loved ones in which ever way that communicates the giving of ourselves. If frenzied shopping communicates that for you, go grab your list and wallet and hit the malls. If getting away for a holiday does it, go book a ticket to somewhere. If doing charitable work is the way to give yourself, go on a mission trip or sign up for some humanitarian causes. Whatever we do, if we do them in the spirit of giving and out of love, we would to a certain extent retain some of the original meaning of Christmas.

God in His love, gave Himself for us. Christmas without Christ will never carry the same significance and meaning. Which is why Christmas means different things for different people. All our giving and acts of love, no matter how sincere, will only have a "natural" meaning without Christ. The real Christmas is a supernatural event. Immanuel - God With Us. We can never replicate or emulate that sort of giving. So I'll just bask in God's love this Christmas and let everything else flow out of that. After all, we love because he first loved us.

Here's my all time favorite song for Christmas.



We Are The Reason by Avalon

As little children, we would dream of Christmas morn
And all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

We were the reason that He gave his life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by
We learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves
And what that means

On a dark and cloudy day
A man hung crying in the rain
All because of love
All because of love

We were the reason that He gave his life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

I've finally found the reason for living
It's in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do every word that I say
I'll be giving my all just for Him, for Him

He is my reason to live


rk