my reflections on the first Sunday of Advent

Don’t be in a hurry for Christmas...
Today is the first day of Advent and from the point of view of the Church, it is the time for prepare for Christmas.

Since it is the preparatory period for Christmas, it is the time to consider ourselves preparing for the coming of the Lord at the end of time and the time to remember His birthday two thousand and seven years ago.

It is the time that we spend in preparing that makes His birthday celebration very special.

Unfortunately, in my country, as I experienced in the past , for most of us Filipinos, we start Christmas as early as October and when Christmas day comes, we find ourselves tired, bankrupt and drunk.

We dive into the Christmas fever with much external preparation and in the process rob ourselves of a meaningful Yuletide.

How many Christmases have we celebrated and how many December 26s have we found ourselves pennyless, lonely, bored, drained, with severe hangover from liquor and from lack of sleep?

But December 26 is only the second day of Christmas!

Why so?

Because we plunged into Christmas hurriedly, and pushed by the current and popular tide, we felt we were lost and confused as we allowed ourselves to get carried away by the popular crowd. We were carried away by what the others were doing and not really by what we wanted to do.

When Advent becomes a noisy period, the secret and mystery of Christmas is also lost. When Advent becomes a frenzy period of parties and shopping, Christmas also loses its golden value that only prayer and silence and slowing down can achieve.

When we can no longer live with the Christmas spirit in the heart, then we start to give Christmas in the lips, in the songs, in the parties and in the shopping.

Christmas is in the heart, in the heart where Jesus lives. When God wanted to make a paradise for man, He created a garden. But when God wanted to make a paradise for Himself, He created the human heart. Every human heart is God’s paradise here on earth.

It is in the heart where Christmas is born.

The sound of Christmas...
Just for today, let’s reflect on one simple aspect of Christmas.

What is the sound of Christmas to you? Maybe for some, it is the sound of Christmas carols; Silent Night, Joy to The World, Jingle Bells etc.

For the less spiritual, the sound of Christmas is the clinking of cash registers in the shopping malls.

For others, it is the sound of children playing and laughing innocently.

Still for others, the sound of Christmas is one of endless applause. We associate Christmas with sounds.

What is the sound of Christmas? I guess, this question is erroneous because Christmas has no sound!

Christmas means the Word of God was made flesh.

How was Jesus conceived in the womb of Mary? There was no noise. This was done in silent, prayerful contemplation.

How was Jesus born in the manger on that first Christmas night? It was in silence. The angels came later on. Everything was done in prayerful contemplative silence. The Word became flesh in silence.

If our Christmas celebration is purely going to be singing, partying, clapping and noise making, we will hardly appreciate the mystery of the Word becoming flesh.

We will have family reunions and school and office parties for the next two weeks. We will enjoy good food and the company and well wishes of our students, co-teachers, office mates, friends and loved ones. But give your time to the Word to take flesh.

Give time for some contemplative silence with nobody talking to you, with nothing to listen, with nothing to read, and with nothing to watch. Just be with God in a contemplative silence. Then and only then, can the Word become flesh. And then and only then, you can experience the real Christmas in your heart!

Give ourselves a good Christmas. Let us allow the Word to take real flesh.

Have a blessed First Sunday of Advent to all of you my friends.