Peace, Love & Joy

My Christmas prayer for you and your dear ones is that the joy, peace and love that our Savior came to bring into this world, may become part and parcel of your life and the lives of your dear ones in the family throughout this season of Christmas and in the New Year 2001.

Instead of a traditional Christmas message, a brief reflection on how people all over the world celebrate this historic event of Incarnation may help prepare us to welcome Baby Jesus into our hearts. The people celebrating it can be placed into two categories; one group could be called the “Holiday Season people” and the other the “Christmas people.”

The ‘Holiday Season People’ focus their celebration on ‘gifts’ or ‘buying and selling’, where as the ‘Christmas People’ focus their celebration on preparing a small place in their hearts and in their families for Baby Jesus.

The “Holiday Season People’s main menu is a part or a vacation or a family reunion, where as the Christmas people’s main menu is the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist Sacrifice in which they share the body and blood of Christ.

The Holiday Season People’s main concern is self and self-satisfaction, where as the Christmas people seek first the concern and happiness of those around them and share with them the treasures of Christmas that are peace, love, and joy.

The big difference is that the Holiday Season People celebrate this great event without any place for the birthday boy, where as the Christmas People in their celebration give the pride of place to the birthday boy Jesus. 

May the peace, love and joy that Child Jesus came to bring into this world, reign in your home this Christmas Season. 

A very Happy Christmas to you all.

 Fr. Babasino Fernandes