Stories
shape us. They shape our thoughts, our perceptions and our responses to
the world. In this Yuletide season, we
may be enthralled with Christmas stories. Every year, Christmas stories became
more and more popular together with ornamented Christmas tree, Christmas gifts,
and the overall Christmas spirit. Christmas stories are important tools for
spreading good spirit of Christmas. Actually, it is said that when Charles
Dickens wrote his story in the 18th century, A Christmas Carol, the celebration of Christmas was on the
wane. But he used his story to describe
Christmas as a time of love, a time of joy, a time when people respect each
other, and a time when everything goes well.
For the
kids, a famous holiday story is that of Santa Claus, referred also as Saint
Nicholas in European communities. Saint Nicolas has been known in European
tradition and religious history
as the courier of gifts and prosperity.
The modern-day image of Santa Claus, which depicts good old Santa Claus
in red robes happily singing while riding on his flying reindeer-driven sleigh,
was featured as a TV ad by Coca-Cola during the 1970s, and it has stuck in the
minds of children and grownups alike up until now.
There are also Christmas stories about the personal
lives of famous people and even celebrities, and some have been shown as
movies. There are even stories about the
childhood holiday memories of various people that have been written on books so
as to share their experiences with the world. A widely popular book about an
individual’s personal holiday experiences is ‘The Christmas Story’ by Jean
Shepherd and released as a movie during
the early 1980s.
The purpose
of Christmas stories is to capture the spirit of the season often with touching
stories about the miracles related to Christ’s birth. Many of these stories,
even the modern ones, have become a part of the Christmas traditions in many
countries.
The
greatest of all Christmas stories is of course the story about Jesus’ birth. For
me, it is the best story of love...the story for falling in love...the story
for staying in love. Every time we read stories, we are on a journey of
discovery. In the story of the Nativity, we are invited to join Mary and Joseph
in their journey of discovery. When Joseph
and Mary are looking up at the baby in the manger, they invite us to share in
their great joy. And this great joy is the good news for all people, ‘… and he came for us’. When Joseph and Mary are nestling the baby,
they invite us to cuddle the child in our arms
because he is ours, too. When Joseph and Mary are gazing the child’s
face, they invite us to let him lock eyes with us, so that he can search our
hearts - to fall in love with him and to stay in love with him.
Obviously, after reading stories, we responded in one
way or the other - we cry, laugh, shudder, wince, frown, sigh, sulk and many
more. When our hearts seize the real message of the story of Nativity, we allow
the little child to be the light of our lives- to shine his glory and his mercy
into every corner and dark place in us, so as to bring his light in all
darkness of sin, confusion, fear and hatred. And this is the most beautiful act
of response we could give to the story of Jesus’ birth.
John 1:9 says, ‘He is
the true light which enlightens everyone’. If we allow the Light to take
hold of our lives, we could discover in our journey that his light will never be
extinguished.
In one of our relief works, I came to know
Buboy, a family man whose house was ruthlessly damaged by typhoon Yolanda. He
has six children and he drives a tricycle for a living. One of my companion
sisters made an effort to look for Buboy at the evacuation area. This sister of
mine in the convent could not forget his
kindness. When she was a high school student, Buboy was the tricycle driver who
patiently waited for her dismissal every day. When we visited the devastated
area where Buboy resides, most of the houses were powdered by the super
typhoon. It was so heart breaking. Buboy
managed to repair his house with the help of the aid and with his little
knowledge in carpentry. A week before Christmas we visited the place again and
we were surprised to see many of the damaged houses were partially repaired.
Houses have roofs already so they are not staying in tents anymore. One
of their unsung heroes was Buboy. We came to know that he repaired too quickly
his house so he could help hapless families, too. We affirmed him and with a
grin he said in Karay’a; “Mu dya lang
makaya ko ma’krismas kananda sister”. (Only this I could give them this
Christmas sister.) Buboy has a deeper understanding of what this Christmas
all about.
I
believe this is only one of the many Christmas stories you could hear or read.
There would be more hundred Christmas stories that can be told and could shape
other lives if we chose to stay in love with the little child in the manger. Indeed, the true Light empowers us to be a
light for others, too!
Start telling now your Christmas stories.
A blessed Christmas
and a grace-filled New Year!
ABOUT THE SHARER:
SR. FILIAM ANN E. SEVILLENA, OP is the Vocation Directress of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines, Molo, Iloilo City and a student of Institute of Preaching of the Dominican Province of the Philippines.
KEYWORDS:
Christmas, Cycle A, OP Sisters, Special,
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