Christmas: Struggling to become Saint
by: Peter James Obera
Last year I wrote an article about celebrating Christmas in our hearts, despite of economic crisis. Now I will try to write a continuation about of that article the I've wrote last year. I want to go deeper this year because it seems the crisis not only in economic terms, but in spiritual aspect as well, that affects the way we celebrate Christmas. This year's Christmas is quite a different Christmas, others said "its so dry and cold" while others said no more gifts and noche buenas. In my last year article I talk about how consumerism and materialism really affects Christmas and I fervently said that Christmas is a season to practice of becoming saints. This article may short compared last year since this just an addition of thoughts and reflections rather than a mere sequel of literature.
I want to express my feelings of struggling for holy cause or saintly cause I myself find hard to observed this, because I personally affected with the intoxicating effect of consumerism and materialism, my family felt that even. It really hard too many temptations but I know and I believed in the Mercy and Grace of God, its a matter of prayers and sacrifice.This year is the Holy Year of Mercy, I guess Holiness Pope Francis felt this suffering and the struggle of the faithfuls in this world.
"The mercy of God is able to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an experience of freedom," -Pope Francis-
Pope Francis stresses that the Mercy of God may free us from the suffering of sins and embracing Christ especially this Christmas.
For us its really hard to show mercy to people who those often times offended us. we been attached not only by our Material Relationship but also with our Internal Pride. Obviously it will only adds up to the burden that we carried. In my previous article about Christmas I talked about advent, in preparation for the Lord's coming, the dawn of our faith waiting for the sunlight of our faith Jesus Christ. There I describe on how we must prepare. First is by having our internal houses to be clean and decorated. But what happened? We tend to forget to clean and ended up unprepared . Does anyone familiar about the "Foolish Virgins"?
And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
- Matthew 25:1-13-
We are the perfect example of that often times, We are Perfect Virgins, determined, confident and enthusiastic to welcome our Lord. Yet we are Perfect Stupids also because we forget the details on how to make things done because we did it out of mediocre. If someone readers of this article he might think that I am pessimistic. But this is the Truth! We tend to forget all our struggles, suffering and preparations when abundance came but in times drought strikes. We complained because of devastation and grief. We are so superficial in our life. A true Christians must not always be in sorrow because he has no reason to be. The True Christians always rejoice because he received Christ His words and His Body but sadly earthly materialism covered this among us Christians. This Christmas we tend to received goods than Christ. Well this year I saw a blasphemous advertisement about expensive bag. On said ad it depicts the Nativity scene but yet it revealed to be an expensive bag in replacement to Christ, they adored it. Alas! Now that expensive bag is now their new Lord! That's how the materialism and consumerism intoxicates our Christianity. Another is a Television show portrayed a blasphemous act showing a protagonist undergoing abortion procedure while playing "Silent Night". That's blasphemous! A mockery direct to Christ! Christmas begins to deteriorates because of the introduction of Godless behavior and Culture of Death. Recently this December in this year, a group of youth having a rumble, a fistfight outside of the Church while the Misa de Gallo (Dawn Mass) was ongoing, the said trouble associated with "gangs". This dissident youths are in deep influence of "Colonial Ideolism" behaving as "gangster wannabe". They are not respecting our Lord anymore. They are Madman acting worse than Animal. St, Anthony of Egypt is right:
People these days are madman.
I may aggressive this year compared my last year article but I want to remind that Christ not anything else. We Christians we must be during against the flood of errors of this modernity. We must not go with the flow, we must daring to go against it. In this Christmas we must resist against the influenced of Colonial Ideology. To became a saint we must struggle our self. By the grace of Baptism we are called to be Saints. Catholic our name and Christian is our surname, we carried the Holy Name of Christ. In the Name of Christ we aspired Modern Saints mus save Christmas! Its our duty as I said on my previous article Christmas is the time to practice of being a saint. A saint is a soldier of Christ, so onward be daring! Save the Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all !!
