IT will be a different Christmas and New Year’s celebration this year—one we never thought about in our generation. It will be Christmas and New Year without the crowds at churches, malls, and street corners. It will be Christmas and New Year without big family gatherings.
The pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. It will be a year a few months from now since the global spread of COVID-19. A lot of things have changed in government, school, church, and society at large.
But we find comfort in what we call “silver linings” of this pandemic:
• Our families became closer.
• We realized what is more important in life.
• Our faith in God and our prayers strengthen us.
• We learned crafts and hobbies that we never thought of doing before.
• We developed a good prayer life like the Holy Rosary and Divine Chaplet of Mercy’s daily recitation.
• We saved money that we would use for vacation.
• Our faith-filled parishioners who come to brave coming to daily Mass inspire us.
• We reunited with old friends and classmates through Zoom and social media.
• We never thought that we could learn about technology.
• We saved money from not paying for gas.
• We were able to give financial help to people in dire need.
We can think about more, but the deepest yet poignant reflection many of us have had these days is on death. We have become more aware of one’s mortality because we’re all vulnerable to getting ill.
But many of us might have learned to accept death as an inevitable part of life. Cardinal Cantalamessa recently reminded us that Sister Death is a good old sister, recalling the words of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Cardinal wrote:
“Looking at life from the vantage of death is an extraordinary help to live well. Are you anguished by problems and difficulties? Walk ahead, set yourself in the right place: look at these things from your deathbed. How would you like to have behaved? How important would you hold things to be? Have you got any issue with someone? Look at things from your deathbed. What would you like to have done then: to have won or to have accepted humiliation? To have prevailed or forgiven?
The thought of death prevents us from getting attached to things, or from setting our hearts on our earthly dwelling, forgetting that ‘we have no lasting city’ on earth (Hb 13:14).”
Friends, make this Christmas a beautiful celebration of faith, hope, and love despite the pandemic and its restrictions. Tell your family members and friends that you love them. Call friends, send them a note, support someone in need. Spread love, peace, and hope. As the old saying goes, live every day as if it is your last day to live.
Have the heart of Mary, who “pondered everything in her heart.” Live every day in the spirit of surrender to God’s will. Like Mary, let’s have the boldness of heart to say, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
