What Christmas means to ME

“Let’s sing Merry Christmas and happy holidays. This season may we never forget the love we had for Jesus? Let him be the one who guide us as another new year starts. And may the spirit of Christmas will always be in our hearts.” – Christmas in our Hearts.

 Just the cold breeze of the crisp December air, and the noisiness of our environment, we could already feel it’s Christmas. Christmas trees are being decorated with colorful paraphernalia, lanterns are being hanged, gifts are already wrapped, and the surrounding is brightened up with the Christmas lights. Belen and Santa Claus miniatures are also out and displayed at some corners of the house.

After 11 months and 24 days, here we are again to celebrate the day when they proclaimed Jesus was born. There are a lot of preparations to be done. And of course, we have to brace ourselves for the forthcoming day of our savior. I, myself, was excited, too, for that celebration. How I wish it’s now Noche Buena. I can’t wait for it!

One thing I just can’t forget is my first Misa de Gallo wherein I am aiming to complete the 9 days of novena. Supposed to be I’ll only attend the mass on the 24^th night of December but because my cousin forced me to accompany her, I agreed to be with her. The message of the priest was emblazoned in my mind and heart: "End of the world is getting near. No one knows what the exact date of judgment is. But let us ask ourselves. Have we done something worth our living here on earth? Did we do good things during the period of our existence? Yearly, we're celebrating Christmas and now, we will again prepare for it. There are two kinds of this celebration - CHRISTmas and Xmas. CHRISTmas is celebrated with the ones full of love in their hearts; Jesus is with them. On the other hand, Xmas - celebration for people who are only unto material things and hate the world. Did we spend a MEANINGFUL Christmas even once? Love. Share. Forgive. That's the true essence of Christmas. Do what you have not done before it’s too late. Who knows, maybe it’s your last Misa de Gallo you'll ever had? And in the end, we can say... "I did this all for you Jesus." Until now, the words are still reverberating on my head.

This message is so true. Christmas is far different from all other occasions we celebrate. We are not to have just a party instead a holy and solemn celebration. We are not on the gifts; we are on the hearts' content. The true essence of Christmas is about sharing what we had without thinking what we'll lose or gain. It's all about expressing your love to everyone especially to the needy. It's all about getting your family together and strengthening your bonds. It's all about forgiving and asking forgiveness to those who hurt you and those you've hurt. Your state in life doesn't matter. As long as you had an open heart and you are happy with the things around you, I can assure you'll have a perfect Christmas Eve.

Let's celebrate a MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS. Let its true essence prevail not only during December months but also the following days that come along. Happy Holidays :">