True Essence of Christmas: A Celebration of Love and Humanity

It is Christmas time; there is joy, happiness, jubilation and celebrations at every nook and corner of the universe, as it is a grand festival celebrated over the centuries in all the five continents of world, not just by Christians but people of all faiths, languages, cultures, ethnicity and traditions. Question arises in the minds of many what is Christmas? Why is it celebrated all over the world?

A serene and peaceful nativity scene depicting the birth of Jesus

Christmas is a love story. Love of God for humanity and his faithfulness towards human beings. God created human beings in his own image and likeness, with a spiritual soul. The spiritual soul has the faculty of Intellect and will. With the faculty of intellect humans knew what is good and bad, right and wrong. The faculty of will gave him the freedom to choose whatever he likes and prefers. Human beings chose to do wrong; they violated the natural order created by God; they went against his will. This was the greatest Sin called Original Sin, that separated human beings from God, deprived him of His love. It was a terrible moment of human history because the human beings suffered the pain of separation from God, deprivation of his love and a hopeless situation.

It was at this moment God made a promise to save the humanity from their sin, to regain the lost human persons and to bring them back to their inheritance. St. John in his gospel writes “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). Thus because of his immense love for man God became incarnate, he took up human nature. God, being powerful and infinite could have saved man through other ways. But he willingly chose to become a human being like us in order to lift up our human nature. “Word became man and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14). St. Luke explains the birth of Jesus in a more human explanatory way. Both prophesies of Old Testament and Statements in the Gospels have the same central theme – the new born child is Emmanuel – God with us. All Christians believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the World. Dying on the Cross he saved the entire humanity from sin. He is the Messiah and above all He is the true God.

While the historic coming of Christ, which happened 21 centuries ago, is commemorated, it is the values that matter a lot today. There are very many values celebrated at Christmas. First and foremost we recognize the love of God for man. During his entire life Jesus repeatedly taught – the first commandment is to love God and the second one is to love our neighbour. Love, concern for the poor, the neglected the marginalized, the old, the sick, the shelter less, should be the top most priority of our life. Secondly love prompts us to give whatever you can, give till it hurts you. In other words serve others.

May this Christmas bring joy, peace, unity, comfort, solace and happiness to all human hearts. Wish you A Very Happy Christmas.