Happy Christmas

Dear Friends
A very happy Christmas to you and your loved ones
from my family


Christmas Greetings From Emmanuel David and Family


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thank you 
with love and prayers


Emmanuel

An Angel comes visiting how do you respond

Some one came and  told  a man working on the  18^th floor of  a busy  office  complex  “John your daughter Ruth  died in an car accident”. This  man rushed down and when he came to the 12th   floor  he realized that he does not have a daughter. When he came to the 5^th floor he realized he was not  married and  when  he reached the ground floor he became  aware that he is not  John.

Friends we are  living in a  busy  and stressed world that when we  hear  any  bad news we think it is for us  and we are  tuned to listening to bad news only.

It is in such a World that we have Angel  Gabriel come and give  us  good news.  A young village  girl is told that  she will be the Mother of Our Lord which is  called  “The  Annunciation to Mary”.

Annunciation simply means  an  Announcement.

Let us understand the   context this  announcement was made.

Context

Mary was the daughter of  Heli of the  tribe of  Judah which is the  royal lineage of  David. She must have  been in her  teens like  16 or 17 years and   lived in Nazareth. She was already engaged to Joseph.  The timing is  about  the year  5  BC when Gabriel appeared to  Mary. The name  Mary  in Hebrew means   bitterness.  If  you  recollect  Naomi the mother in law of  Ruth  wanted to be  called  Mara which is bitterness.   So you see that God is using a name which means bitterness to bring Sweetness  to Earth and Mankind

Gabriel  and Mary

We have Gabriel  meeting Mary  and  saying  Greetings you who are highly  favored.  On earlier  times  Gabriel met with Daniel in the Old Testament and explained visions to him and just earlier to meeting Mary he met  Zechariah to whom he first said  Do not be afraid.  It is interesting that the High Priest  is told “ Do not be afraid”  where as a young girl is given “ Greetings from the Lord”.

Mary was highly Favoured   by God. If you or  I  were  met by  Gabriel today and told that  we are  highly favoured by God how will we  respond?  When a  King  favours you it implies a  sense of being overwhelmed at the trust put in you.    Similar emotions  would  have  gone through Mary’s mind  which  prompted Gabriel to  reassure with a  Do not be afraid and  he explains in detail the  Divine plan and will.  In her short life of 16 odd years she was able to live in a manner for God to favour her.  It was not her goal to be favoured of God, yet because of the quality of her lifestyle we have this outcome.

Mary’s Qualities

What are the qualities of  Mary  which led to a confluence of divine of Human. We notice four distinct qualities:

Faith :  She has  absolute faith  in her God whereas  Zechariah  had a  doubt  whether   he and Elisabeth will have a child.  Which is a   natural process.  Where as  Mary being a virgin had a  reality orientation but quickly realizes the prophesy  in   Isaiah 7: 14  which   is  “There fore the Lord himself  will give you  a  sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel.” She therefore expresses her  Faith.  She did not also  check with Elisabeth which she could have done. ( we can say she had this limitation since she did not have a cell phone!

Courage:  The law in Jewish tradition  is extremely severe if a  woman who is engaged is pregnant by some one other than her  husband. She will be stoned to death. 
What is also common today  is the  social  ostracism  of  having a child out of wedlock.  This could have been a natural consequence.  She does not  consult  Joseph to give her consent to the angel. She  had the courage to face the consequences  of her submitting to Gods will.  Submitting to  God’s will may mean not being conformed to the world,   are  we willing to do so?

Submission:  She says “ I am the Lords servant  “   there is  total submission  to Gods will.  In the  magnificat  she says  the Lord has been mindful of the Humble state of his servant and  also says my soul rejoices in God my saviour. She did not let  her self come into being  to say “ God my son”.  There is also  Humility  in this  Submission.

Spiritual Mindedness:  If you read the Magnificat   there  are  verses from the Psalms and the song of Hannah. Mary was  really well read  in the scriptures so she was able to spontaneously  express her  joy. She not only read but understood the  scriptures.

We have  read this many times  but do we really understand the  power of the  Magnificat?     Let us take a  moment to understand the message in  the  Magnificat.

The song of Mary has  beauty poetry and piety in it yet it is also  explosive and revolutionary.

At this advent  let us revisit the  call of the Magnificat.

There is  a call for  Moral   revolution “He has scattered those who are  proud in their inmost thoughts”   this  is Death to Pride.

There is  a call for Social revolution  “ He has brought down rulers from  their  thrones but has lifted up the Humble” we need to end  Discrimination

An  economic revolution   ‘He  has sent away the rich empty “ This is  death to inequality.

Let  us remember to make this  real in our lives and see how we can make a  change  in our  lives by letting pride,  discrimination and inequality die in us.

We don’t have to go too far. We can  do it first in our families. There  are those who  feel humiliated and discriminated in our own families.

In conclusion I would like to leave a thought with each one of us.

God  Chose  Mary to fulfill  his divine plan. I probably think that God does not work with contingency plans.  Here is  a Humble girl who is not  economically privileged. She has been living her life in a  modest and holy manner. There could have  been temptations  which she could have  succumbed to.

She has been living her  lifetime  in that manner.   I am not  aware if she read the weekly forecast in the newspaper of that time and I am definite she would not have  visited the palmists and astrologers of her time to know what is her future.

She had no idea that she will be chosen.  Yet she lives her  life in a holy manner irrespective of the consequences. In a world today  where we live  by cause and effect and conditions, here is  a young lady who is living a Holy and virtuous life because  she likes to be so.

Mary’s life can be  summarized as what St. Paul  urges each of us: There fore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy  and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual worship.  Do not   conform  any longer to  the pattern of this world , but be  transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12 1-2.

It is  such a life lived over a lifetime that God recognizes  and chooses  Mary to be a Part of the Salvation plan. Eve  by her actions brought us  death and Mary  by her purity brought us Jesus who Saves us from Death.

I am into recruitment of people and have   interviewed several people for jobs and I look for the people who are smart.   God does not choose the Smart and worldly  wise but rather he chooses the  Holy.   He chooses the Humble and marginalized.

How do we live our lives, can  God choose us to be a part of plan?

Our  world today still has many  who do not  know the  Lord and they are  thirsting for salvation or deliverance through cults, magic, drugs,  alcohol. Many are  emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.  There is  a need to be met.

Dear friends  if Jesus were  to call  you to  bring the good news of his Salvation to your community and work place  What  will you say?

Can we say “ I am the Lord’s servant , May it be to me as you have said.

Mary said that  2000 years ago and we are able to get the gift  of salvation.

May God grant each of us the humility and courage to say “ I am the Lord’s servant , May it be to me as you have said.’

We are  also  highly favoured by God that’s why  he allowed his Son to die so that we  may live.  Being favoured how do we respond to God when He calls us?

Lets ponder on this idea as well during this advent  season..

The Axe is at the root this Christmas….

Any reflection on John the Baptist brings a vivid imagery of drama and courage of a strong personality. This begins even before his birth with the announcement of his birth by the angel Gabriel to his father Zechariah.  We do not have much information about his early life but as we meditate on John the Baptist we can focus particularly on his Mission, Method and Message, which would bring a new meaning to Christmas.

Mission

John the Baptist’s Mission was to “ Make ready a people prepared for the Lord” Luke 1:17. While it is beautifully summarized in a sentence this is possible only through a lifetime of work.

The key words are making ready and prepared. Making involves active involvement where as telling can be passive.  His mission was not to tell people to prepare for the Lord.  Let us look at a simple activity like planting some roses in garden.  You need to do a lot of work before you actually plant the rose sapling.

You need to make ready the earth, nurture it with manure, and see that there is sufficient supply of water so that when you actually plant the rose sapling the soil is prepared to accept the rose plant.  We need to see how to actively create opportunities to make ready people at this Christmas prepared to receive the Lord.

Method

There are interesting learnings from the John the Baptist’s method in accomplishing his Mission.

We notice Self Denial with clothes made of camel’s hair and locusts and wild honey for breakfast and dinner. Humility is personified when he says ‘ One who is more powerful than I whose sandals, I am not fit to carry’ this humility gave him the privilege and honour to Baptize Jesus.  Even Herod who put him in prison respected John for his Holiness. His burning zeal enabled him to be powerful preacher in making ready a people prepared for the Lord.

His action and message exuded courage and conviction. He went about calling a spade a spade even if it meant Martyrdom.

You have hands on person who walked the talk, which is the best method to communicate your Mission.

Message.

There are three Key messages of John the Baptist.

Repentance

The theme of John the Baptist is a call for repentance. Repentance means making a radical change in one’s life as whole for errors and actions.

Repentance is an individual and personal act and not a social act, so we need to introspect and take a decision what we need to do in the context of his message today.

Produce Fruits

He also gives a call for us to produce fruit. Repentance by it self is not enough, we need to produce fruit since we are planted. The fruit knows a tree it bears so it is with us.

Consequences

Any Gardener prunes the branches of a tree to enable it to bear fruit.

You can see that a tree’s pruning is done externally. Keeping in line with John the Baptist’s personality the message is radical and one of finality.

He says “ the axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.” (Mathew 3:10)

A tree may look beautiful and stately but if it doesn’t bear good fruit the axe is not at the branches but ‘ already at the root’. We cannot see the root but if the axe is struck at the root the tree will surely die. 

Lets us listen to this alarm bell seriously while listening  to the jingle bells as well.

John implies a sense of urgency for his mission. There is a scarcity of time and it is a call for us to act quickly.

At this Christmas season let us take actions to bear good fruit.

The Meaning of Christmas….

Many a time friends asked me what is Christmas all about.

Today you know Christmas  by the symbols of Christmas, be it stars, Santa Claus, Decorations, Cakes,  parties, New Dresses etc..For some it also means wine and merrymaking.   The symbols today have  assumed a larger  than life image so much we forget the real metaphors of 
why we celebrate 
what we celebrate. 
This is true for most of  our festivals today.
The advertisement at a popular retailer says:  Santa Claus, Face Painting, Trip to Singapore and much more. Christmas  cant get better. 
Is that  Christmas?  No it is not  Christmas.
I can tell you the different things it is not . But defining any thing or any body by what it is not  does not really communicate  the “WHAT IS”
The birth of Christ brings to us  LOVE, PEACE, HUMILITY and Good will,
Let me share with two anecdotes which would help us understand these metaphors,


A teacher recounts about her  student.
I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas.
Mark was an 11 year old orphan who lived with his aunt, a bitter middle aged woman greatly annoyed with the burden of caring for her dead sister's son. She never failed to remind young Mark, if it hadn't been for her generosity, he would be a vagrant, homeless waif. Still, with all the scolding and chilliness at home, he was a sweet and gentle child.
I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day (at the risk of arousing his aunt's anger, I later found) to help me straighten up the room. We did this quietly and comfortably, not speaking much, but enjoying the solitude of that hour of the day. When we did talk, Mark spoke mostly of his mother. Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman, who always spent much time with him.
As Christmas drew near however, Mark failed to stay after school each day. I looked forward to his coming, and when the days passed and he continued to scamper hurriedly from the room after class, I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room.
 I told him how I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, "Did you really miss me?"
I explained how he had been my best helper.
"I was making you a surprise," he whispered confidentially. "It's for Christmas."
With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room. He didn't stay after school any more after that.
Finally came the last school day before Christmas. Mark crept slowly into the room late that afternoon with his hands concealing something behind his back. "I have your present," he said timidly when I looked up. "I hope you like it." He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.
"Its beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?" I asked opening the top to look inside. "
"Oh you can't see what's in it," He replied, "and you can't touch it, or taste it or feel it, but mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, warm on cold nights, and safe when you're all alone."
I gazed into the empty box. "What is it Mark," I asked gently, "that will make me feel so good?" "It's love," he whispered softly, "and mother always said it's best when you give it away." And he turned and quietly left the room.
So now I keep a small box crudely made of scraps of wood on the piano in my living room and only smile as inquiring friends raise quizzical eyebrows when I explain to them that there is love in it.
Yes, Christmas is for gaiety, mirth and song, for good and wondrous gifts. But mostly, Christmas is for love.
Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love.
Love today is one of the most  misunderstood words in the English language. But the love which Mark was telling his  teacher is that Pure Unconditional Love..
As humans we have the need to experience that. The moot point however is that giving unconditional love is something we need to train ourselves in doing so. God so loved the world that he Gave his Son Jesus. Jesus gave His life to take the penalty of  sin of mankind. Greater love is that one man lay down his life for another. That was an unconditional act. Can we  learn to love unconditionally without seeking something in return.

The second anecdote is  from the middle east the story goes about an emperor who loved his people dearly. He had compassion and care on his people. One day he disguised himself as a commoner and met people. During one of his visits he met a coal miner.  He became friendly with him. The emperor continued his visits and eventually got to know the miner  well. They did share a lot of emotions and ideas.  Eventually the emperor told the miner that he was  the emperor. The miner  sat gazing at the emperor. The emperor asked him friend  don’t you wish to ask from me anything ? I can give you anything you ask.
The miner  touched and softly said : you left your palace to come and be with me?
I am really touched.   You have  spent time with me and gave me your friendship, That is enough. You are my friend that is all I need.
Finding a friend in an emperor was enough for the miner.

The real meaning of Christmas is not the symbols and sounds but   that the Emperor came down to earth in love for the mankind.  He showed compassion on all of us bring  Peace and Hope.Jesus entered the world in humility to identify " with the least of our brethren".
It is  important to understand the context we are in.   The world today is more divided than ever before.  I would say the expression of conflict, slavery, corruption, crime, poverty are a consequence of  greed, jealousy, hatred and anger. The message of Christmas does come alive in this context.
The world needs Love and friendship ever more than before.
This touch of love heals
This touch of friendship builds.
The power of love heals and saves
Christmas is also about sharing and friendship done in humility and kindness.

Emmanuel David