In three days we will celebrate that event that changed the history of humanity: Christ Jesus among us; what we know as Christmas. It’s curious that, at this time, people become nostalgic and tearful, remembering the year that is ending, the family member who has died, the father who is far away working, etc. People forget the meaning of Emmanuel (God with us). Many Catholics are preoccupied with buying gifts, going to the stores, buying the cheapest things because there are so many families and everything is so expensive; they talk about where they will spend Christmas, whether at Grandma’s house or Uncle Pepe’s, etc. How difficult it is to have Jesus in our minds and hearts at those moments. Life is lived in a hurry, too fast to be thinking about Jesus Christ, who is the true one being celebrated. These are the paradoxes of this Christmas season.
As your parish priest, I must urge you that the best gift is the attitude of hope, of making life kinder to our neighbors; of remembering that we are just passing through this earth, that Jesus gives us new life; And the more bitter and sad you are, the more gifts you give or receive, the more weight you gain from all the food you eat, the more empty and meaningless your life will be without Christ, until next year and the next and the next…
Eradicate discouragement, banish bad moods, pray more, and remember that Jesus overcame the world. And if Jesus overcame the world, we who have faith will overcome it together with Him. A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.