November 30, 2010
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Christmas Greetings
An excerpt from Father Corapi’s book, “Letters”
In the course of a life’s journey there are often stretches of bad road. It seems that some people have an easier time than others, but it is a rare individual that never encounters a rough stretch. In recent years, perhaps that’s why I have found an increasing number of people that liken themselves to old cars. One poor woman said she felt very old. When I reminded her that she was only 39, she responded that she’s like a three year old car – not that old, but with over 500,000 miles – most of it over bad roads.
It is a rather well known fact that the Christmas holidays are the most difficult period many people face all year. Many of my pastor friends tell me that more people die during the week before Christmas than any other time.
With the erosion of family unity has come sadness, all at a time that should be joyful. Sometimes we can only be happy by willing it, often not merely by feeling it. Reality demands that at Christmas we will to be happy, after all “A Child has been born to us!”
As I look out my window the snow is falling and the pine trees are clothed in Christmas white. It is very silent, perhaps a prelude to a silent night not far off. At a time when the forces of evil are relentless in their attempts to not only take Christ out of Christmas, but to suppress Christmas altogether, we must be just as relentless in our efforts to give glory to God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
This year approach Christmas as you would approach the Christ Child himself – with reverence and with thanksgiving. Allow nothing to rob your joy at this precious time. Sadness has no place in reality, true reality, for the Word has become flesh and dwelt among us. Humanity and divinity have been joined in Jesus, now come to us as an infant. In the cold winter of human hearts there is often no room at the Inn for the Holy Family. Make room in the warmth of your heart for the infant King the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Often the greatest joy is experienced by giving something to others: A smile, forgiveness, perhaps the gift of faith itself.
Have a most blessed and merry Christmas, and may God give you the Gift who contains all gifts: the Holy Spirit.
God bless you,
Fr. John Corapi
I was trying to express my Christmas feelings, and really couldn’t get the words out. A friend emailed this to me, and I thought, “Hey, yeah… THAT’s what I meant!” (That happens a lot with Father Corapi and me, so I should not have been too surprised.) So, I am sharing.I know it is early, but Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my friends who don’t celebrate Christmas!
Love,
Vanessa
Comments (10)
This is really nice. Thanks for sharing it.
Happy Happy 2 U too.
Thanks for this beautiful sentiment.
Nice CB, very nice!
I hope this Christmas is a great one for you.
He has that way about him. God’s blessings to you on his feast.
Call me slow of mind, but it just hit me that, this post coincided with the Islamic holiday of Eid.
@Lakakalo - Did it? I never heard of EID until just recently.
@SamsPeeps - Uhhhh… It’s a little… tricky. First, the Islamic calender follows a lunar year, which consists of 354 days, so all the religious events sort of “slide up” 11-12 days every year. Second, things are decided by phase of the moon, so depending on where you are in the world, there might be a few days between when something is celebrated in point A and point B.
So it coincided with the Islamic Holiday of Eid in Bangladesh. (But it may not necessarily coincide with Eid in Antarctica.)
Now you know.
And knowing is half the battle.
@Lakakalo - Man! I don’t know if I would be able to keep up!
Thank you for sharing that. I always wonder about those kinds of things.
@SamsPeeps - The religious institutions are usually keeping track of things. I doubt most people are religious to keep track of atleast two sets of calenders. (In Bangladesh, there’s also the Bengali calender to keep track of, on top of Islamic AND Gregorian calender.)
Personally, I prefer to see it as a religious equivalent of a surprise birthday party. You’re going about your daily business, and BAM, surprise, the holidays are here. XD