As we near what we call the holiday season, there is a joy and amazement in everyone's eyes. Everywhere around you, people are really very happy, anxious at the coming event. There's also the rush, when people buy new things to replace the old ones, and also partake of the feast of food that will be shared with close family and friends. Since there is an excess, more people also share to those that don't have a lot. Like they say, everybody happy.
As I converted to the Christian faith, the real meaning of Christmas also changed. People will always be saying to "put Christ back in Christmas", as the commercialization of Christmas happens. Some people, thinks that Christmas is a pagan holiday and should not be participated in by real Christians since this holiday has similarities to the Saturnalia. So it's just fine for Christians to say" Bah! Humbug!!" like the famous character of Scrooge. So, Who is correct?
At first, I really want to do away with the holidays. If this is really a pagan holiday and not actually Christ's birthday, then we are partaking of a pagan practice. We are not anyway different from the people that are not saved. Why celebrate the birth of our Messiah on the day that is not really his birthday? If I have an excess, I will just possibly treat this like how the American's have thanksgiving. I will just give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for providing for my family and helping us all year round. That's my initial plan.
However, there was an article that I have read about Christmas. That with all the symbolizations and parallels to Saturnalia, they are of a different nature. See, in Saturnalia, they go around singing naked in different houses and they overindulge in wine and other worldly things. We don't do that in Christmas. See, it is Satan, the so called god of this world that perverted the meaning of Christmas. Instead of focusing on the real reason for Christmas, we focus on the material aspects of it. The decorations, the new things, the abundant food, and we forgot about the real reason why he came into this world.
Some people may argue that it's just fine considering that he really wasn't born on December 25th. But we are missing the point. Last Sunday, the youth and children of our church held a Christmas musical called " The Best Christmas Ever". Before the musical, our guest speaker Pastor Leal Ibanez told us why there is a Christmas. It was because of us. See, Jesus Christ was born in this world to redeem us of our sins. He loved us so much that he does not want us to perish. Does it really matter if Jesus Christ was really born on that date? It left me pondering. Then as the presentation went on, I saw myself as like one of the lead characters who dismissed the real meaning of Christmas. Now I know. It's not about the date, but the real purpose why he came in to this world. If we can know deep within our hearts the real meaning of Christmas, then we can now bring Christ back into the holidays.
Thanks to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in Marikina Fundamental Bible Baptist Church and to Pastor Leal Ibanez for giving me "The Best Christmas Ever". I have already recieved my gift. I pray that you too as well.
HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!!!
BRIAN,MAUREEN AND PIA LUCIANO
P.S.
Scrooge was wrong!!!
December 11,2017
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