Thoughts and prayers before the Nativity scene

 

 

Thoughts and prayers before the Nativity scene

Christmas is back again and many rituals, not only in the church, are repeated. Lunch, greetings, gifts, family ... But do we accomplish a real Christmas? Or do we accomplish the Christmas it should be fair to accomplish?The holy Christmas of the Nativitiy scene, created for the first time by St.Francis in Greccio, turns, in these days, in a mountain of stress: stress for racing to the supermarket or to the shops, to buy groceries and packages; stress because of the pile of things to do; stress because some of us often live the family gatherings of this season as an obligation, a strain, not sufficiently supported by the flow of affection the all of us need; stress because, surely, the worst quarrels, family divisions, explode in these days. It 's true: I am afraid that, at times, the saying "Christmas with the family" becomes not only an obligation, but also an excuse to hide at home, individualistically, forgetting the others, maybe lonely people who may be in need; and then our home becomes a prison, closed and suffocating. I was told several times that some people do not like Christmas; someone even mentioned a few days ago, it' s a day like any other ....


No, it isn't a day like any other. Nor it should be. Ultimately, through our frantic preparations, we express our wishes We surround ourselves with lights because we really would like the light around us, instead of the darkness of so many problems; we clean and decorate our house because we want a comfortable and warm environment, to protect us; we prepare delicacies to eat (and then we stuff ourselves) because food symbolizes the affection we need; even consumerism is nothing but a distortion of our innermost desire of a life inspired by the gift, where we can give and receive for free. Christmas is a day on which we project all of our dearest wishes and we would like it to be better than others. But, above all, we look for a celebration that brings us back to childhood, the innocence of good things and an idyllic past, without problems, without guilt, especially without evil. And that's why an unavoidable veil of melancholy often covers our parties, if not nostalgia for something inexorably lost ... Then, we also feel the longing for someone, Someone who is to save us ....

In fact, a priest told me a few days ago in the Cathedral, Christmas is also a celebration of suffering. Mary and Joseph wander in search of a shelter, but no one wants them; no one wants Christ who is about to be born. Christ was born in a stable among animals, in the cold; and, the next day, December 26, we commemorate St. Stephen, the first martyr ... To save us all, to really win pain, this Child will have to be risen: and, indeed, no shadow stretches on the celebration of Easter. Nothing wins the Resurrection. We feel, the all of us, a great, extraordinary need for love: after all, we need that salvation. Today, my friend observed that many families, since old times, are used to communicate little affection: until a few decades ago, it looked like a form of weakness, if not wrong... And then emotional life, in many families, died out. People need love, but they are not accustomed to give it, maybe neither to receive it. Maybe, who knows, the great success books and cooking classes have today, derives from this: we still experience hunger, but a form of hunger for something symbolized by food: hunger for love ....


So, I leave you with a small idea to give love in this Christmas. I propose you to remember in your prayers not only your loved ones, but also others, especially those in difficulty. Sara, my friend psychologist, has repeatedly said that, one day, in Heaven, we will spend much time to thank each other of us for the help that we gave to each other with our prayers, a mutual aid that we could not see before. I love to believe it's true; however, that prayers work is ascertained (someone even some studies about it, at Harvard, for example). Above all, let's go back to the One who knows truly love.I would ask you to pray for the victims of war, famine, violence; for refugees, for persecuted Christians and for all those who are persecuted; for the poor, the sick; for the Pope, priests, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists, police officers, firemen and all those who have a special mission; for our enemies, so that they stop to do evil; for our leaders, for peace ... But now I would like to recall some particular categories who do not usually appear in choral prayers.
• People who have an amputation. In these days, I and my guys are reading the book by Beatrice (Bebe) Vio, a 17 years old girl who, because of a septic meningitis, had all of  her four limbs amputated. But she is a force of nature and a Paralympic fencing champion. She does a lot of good, in an extraordinary way. I remember a girl I saw recently in the news and who lost an arm due to a machine to grind the meat. People who have experienced such a severe trauma sometimes fail to recover, and they need our love.
• Families who, in these days, see an empty seat at their table because they lost a loved one in a violent way, maybe even in a car accident. I remember a young married couple from Milan (her name was Elisa, I think), who lost their 7 months old twins in a clash on the Florence-sea high-way with a tanker which had burst a tire for extreme heat. I really wish people in this situtation could be remembered in these days with affection.
• For inmates. Christmas is especially hard for those who are in prison and the Christmas atmosphere seems far away from the bars. And then, they have so much need to start a new life ...
• Lonely people, especially the elderly. Often, in our parties, we forget that, maybe behind the next door, there is someone who does not have anyone to celebrate with.
• Families where division, violence or abuse reign. I can not but remember them, especially the victims, with special affection, after all the posts I made on the issue.
• And finally, let me, I would ask you to pray for my intentions (I have big plans, which could do good), for the people close to me and for whom I pray regularly and, in particular, for all the students I had in the course of my life and for young people and children in general: may they know how to build a successful and happy life. Guys, you'll never know how much love you gave me. THANK YOU!!!I wish you all wholeheartedly MERRY CHRISTMAS! A Christmas of true love and peace!And, as a gift, I leave a link to the splendid Magnificat 243 by Bach: a kind of music that really helps to immerse ourselves in the holy Christmas. Still MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr5cKdC3v3E 

                                               The seven works of  mercy, by M.Caravaggio