MY CHRISTMAS

Born and brought up in a small town in south-east India, being a Christian for me was limited to church visits (we still do not have a catholic church there. Mass is celebrated at a common church for all churches or in the compounds of a Jesuit school). As a child, I never enjoyed or even understood the meaning of being a Christian but Christmas was something that every child there, irrespective of religion, waited for. For one thing, we had the Christmas vacation to look forward to, which was always a welcome stop to waking up at 5 in the morning and finding your way to school in thick fog. But of course, the main attraction was the preparation for Christmas.

One week before Christmas people will start coming and going, borrowing hay, hollies, ovens, spare decoration, suggestions and lots of love, laughter and smiles. My Hindu friends come home and help set up the manger and crib. Dad and my elder brother would put tuning bulbs and lights all around the front yard and mom would bake some 20-25 cakes and other goodies. Three days before Christmas, the carol singers will start coming. They use traditional drums and bells and there would be a Santa dressed in crumpled old Santa costume looking very merry and White. I knew who the Santa was anyways; he was a fat boy who lived down my street. On Christmas Eve we’ll all go to church and be back after Christmas Mass by 2 am. The first thing we did was keep baby in the Manger and my mom made us repeat “Baby Jesus, come to our house, come to our hearts and stay with us.” She never allowed me to keep Baby Jesus; it was always my elder brother. So when nobody was looking, I would take the Baby out, keep it in the crib box and then put him back again, believing that He looked prettier then. The next morning, till night, there would be a lot of visitors and visiting going on. My classmates would come without fail and linger around till the cakes were over. Truly, Christmas (and mom’s cakes) had made me popular at school.

This year, I am celebrating Christmas on my own. I will definitely miss the hollies and carols and cakes. I will miss my parents and my brother, I will miss my friends. I might spend the advent looking into my laptop, writing assignments or dissertations and projects but something is going to remain the same – the elation I felt when I replaced Baby Jesus in the manger. The manger this year is my heart which is aching to welcome the Lord and I will say,” welcome dear Lord to my humble heart; please stay with me, now and forever.” This year I want as my company every child that has not received the love of Baby Christ, the joy of Christmas and the satisfaction at the abatement of eager anticipation in wait of the Light of the World.

“Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew - 19:14

This year, in the crib set in my heart, I want to add children, lots of children to welcome the Holy Child, to make merry and play with Him, to understand and befriend Him, to worship Him and to vow allegiance to Him.