By Soroj Mullick, SDB –
Unlike other years, we are forced to face this Christmas differently, without much of feasting with family and friends. There is going to be less visiting, gifting, and even less churchgoing. On the other hand, the pandemic has helped us rediscover the presence of Christ in the insecurity of our world through the fragility and through a ‘surrendering’ faith. The fear of Covid-19, the consequences of the crisis, and the awaited vaccines, are forcing us to rethink the meaning of Christmas. We have been forced to scale-down Christmas. In fact, the pandemic stands as an opportunity to incarnate God’s love for others.
In the heart of Christmas, there is the ‘fragile baby’ in each of us, especially those who are suffering either physically, economically, spiritually, emotionally or socially. Many mourn family and friends lost to the disease. Many are out of jobs and are in financial problems. Schools are closed. In all these, once the main motive of Christmas is understood, we begin to ‘incarnate’ Christmas to its basics. It is not the people flocking for the midnight Christmas Mass. It is not the cake and cookies, neither the clothes nor the cash.
The Christmas miracle will happen when we are connected with the least in society, when we are stuck together with compassion and care, beyond the regulated ‘structures of Church walls’. The ritualistic prayer-markets need to be replaced with ‘selling’ of empathy-filled-hearts for the Covid-victims. Our Christmas bells and chants will welcome their presence. Equipped with sincere efforts, we will have to decide to spend this Christmas season, staying with the poor, and basically, go to the peripheries, to those who have nowhere to go except the ‘poor stable’. Only then, the visible act of kindness will manifest the invisible God, in Christ.
We may fast from the Eucharistic Holy Communion, but never deprived of the Good News – the Word becoming flesh for saving the suffering children of God. This is the heart of Christmas faith that is renewed in the midst of our shattered security and the fragility of our lives. Jesus who consistently suffered from birth to death, helps us ‘incarnate’ our faith-mystery into concrete actions, by listening, interiorizing, and acting on the Good News of salvation.
The deeper we incarnate the Word, the more God’s infinite love goes beyond reason, and we radiate with joy in alleviating the sufferings of others through a spirit of solidarity and fraternity. We show solidarity with all those who live through a painful experience of COVID-19, and been hit by the economic crisis, all those doctors and nurses who are over-burdened, attending to the affected sick. We need to be responsible for our brothers and sisters who suffer. Let this Christmas be an opportunity to truly incarnate God’s love for others.
How can the parish prepare itself for a more low-key Christmas? Seeing the present as an opportunity each parish will do well to cut cost of celebration and, as some Bishops in their circulars have suggested, to make collections in cash and kinds, to distribute among the poor. The parish priests need to contact the poor people and share the ‘Christmas gift’ in collaboration with the rest. We are called to do something with Christmas. We need to pair together in synodality to do so, and never say ‘we could do nothing.’
Otherwise, it will be ‘a hell kind of Christmas’ without the Bethlehem Baby. Such concrete actions in context, will help us grasp the profound meaning of this feast. Serving the ‘destabilized destitute’, at this time, can help us incarnate God in flesh. Sure, this year we will celebrate a more attentive sober Christmas. Let the liturgies with its choirs keep a sober festive atmosphere too, whether online or in person.
Let the family gatherings be to the minimal. Instead, make this an opportunity to draw on our interiority to serve others in need. This would be a true celebration of God-Incarnate, for everything that is good for others is a celebration of Christmas. Our actions become signs of God’s love for humanity, for God come to manifest his concrete love for the whole creation. This God-Incarnate sides with the suffering brothers and sisters. The “Eucharistic centre” of Christmas is the suffering humanity.
Christ is with us as God with us, Emmanuel, in people’s poverty and pains. God shares from the ‘house of bread’ (Bethlehem), our own disruption and death. Let us go beyond the religious rules, structures and rituals, and unlock our parish communities to visit the poor, the sick, the migrants, the unemployed and those neglected in society. Let this be a Covid-Christmas with all those differently disabled by the pandemic.
Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB is a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].