Christmas is a celebration that marks the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s birth, a fact often forgotten in the midst of gifts, shopping and general holiday fervour. The midnight mass also known as the holy mass held in all churches brings this fact back into Christmas.
The sermon by a senior pastor at a local church here reminded people about the reason of God’s arrival. He said, “God sent his Son down as a human child to a shepherd’s family. He could have sent him in any form. But, His birth was welcomed by a poor family. This tells us that, in order to bring up the life of the poor, he came as poor. Despite all the attention He got, He lived a normal life. His life is a good example to be humble and follow the good. Every religion talks about one key element. In Christianity, we believe that we have to be humble and help the people in need. Jesus emptied himself on the Cross. We have to empty ourselves to others when they are suffering or need help.”
He said, “These days, Christmas has become very commercial. Santa Claus, cakes and gifts is what Christmas is all about. One has forgotten that Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. We must believe that Christmas isn’t once in a year, but everyday in our life. We need to reach out to people who are in need of us and comfort them with our warmth. That is Christmas. That is what we have to everyday not just one day in the year.”
But, the message was similar: Remember the poor, and Remember God. Merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Things That Will Make You Smile
by Lori Deschene
Some days, it’s easy to smile. You wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, with the warm glow of the morning sun cradling your face. You take several deep, cleansing breaths standing beneath a perfectly cascading shower, just before drawing a smiley face on the steamed-up glass with your index finger.
Your roommate or significant other makes your coffee, just the way you like it. You hit every traffic light. You sing to your favorite tunes. And you arrive at work refreshed, excited, and anxious to create and collaborate.
But not every day starts this way. Sometimes you wake up to chaos, in your head or in the world around you. You hit snags, and bumps, and roadblocks at every turn. You try too hard, or don’t try enough, and things fall apart, or things fall short.
You struggle, you fight yourself and other people, and you find yourself wishing you could stop the world so you could get off for a while.
But there is an alternative. When things go wrong, you can fall down or look up. You can shut down or wake up, all over again, starting from right where you stand. You can accept that the days won’t always look bright, but commit to finding something worth smiling about. Not sure what that might be? No worries, friends! I have a few ideas….
1. Call a friend who knows how to laugh at herself to remember what it’s like not to take yourself too seriously.
2. Ask a friend to come over and make you smile. It’s really simple and obvious, I know, but sometimes we forget to just ask for what we need.
3. Read a letter, card, or email from someone who thought of you when you were going through a hard time.
4. Search your deleted email folder for “thank you.” You probably made a huge difference in someone’s life recently—remember that now!
Some days, it’s easy to smile. You wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, with the warm glow of the morning sun cradling your face. You take several deep, cleansing breaths standing beneath a perfectly cascading shower, just before drawing a smiley face on the steamed-up glass with your index finger.
Your roommate or significant other makes your coffee, just the way you like it. You hit every traffic light. You sing to your favorite tunes. And you arrive at work refreshed, excited, and anxious to create and collaborate.
But not every day starts this way. Sometimes you wake up to chaos, in your head or in the world around you. You hit snags, and bumps, and roadblocks at every turn. You try too hard, or don’t try enough, and things fall apart, or things fall short.
You struggle, you fight yourself and other people, and you find yourself wishing you could stop the world so you could get off for a while.
But there is an alternative. When things go wrong, you can fall down or look up. You can shut down or wake up, all over again, starting from right where you stand. You can accept that the days won’t always look bright, but commit to finding something worth smiling about. Not sure what that might be? No worries, friends! I have a few ideas….
1. Call a friend who knows how to laugh at herself to remember what it’s like not to take yourself too seriously.
2. Ask a friend to come over and make you smile. It’s really simple and obvious, I know, but sometimes we forget to just ask for what we need.
3. Read a letter, card, or email from someone who thought of you when you were going through a hard time.
4. Search your deleted email folder for “thank you.” You probably made a huge difference in someone’s life recently—remember that now!
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