My Thoughts -An Inspiring Homily by Father Philip & Sharing of What is and Why

Why do we put up the Christmas Tree to celebrate the birth of Christ every 25th day of December? That tree was chosen because, despite the cold and the snow and when everything else seemed to wither away, the Christmas Tree stood tall , proud and resilient, untouched by the snow and the cold. A beautiful symbol of strength, representing new life. I did not know that, although I had wondered what the connection was between the birth of Jesus and the Christmas Tree. And why was 25th December picked to celebrate the birth of Christ, when studies showed that Christ Jesus, was born in warmer months instead of in winter? There was no snow and yet we had always associated the birth of Jesus with snow and the cold. According to the old texts, it was because, 25th of December was a day when light triumph over darkness and as Christ Jesus conquered death by rising from the dead, this particular day was picked, signifying and symbolising the power of light over darkness. And so Christmas on 25th of December was born. Awesome!

Will the significance and promise of Christmas still continue to touch the hearts of the world, as deeply as before? To many in the Western world, Christmas has become very commercial,' much of the religious significance is lost. To me, Christmas is more than festive, but then the festive part of it is good as well, for this is a time of family togetherness and a time of bonding, a time to remember our loved ones, a time to reach out to the less fortunate and bring a little joy into the lives of others. A time to extend peace and received peace in return.. A day to reflect with gratitude and thanksgiving, the magnitute of God's love for mankind . For Christ Jesus, his human birth, the Holy Mother and the impact she has in our lives ; the forgiveness of sins , and the reconcilation of mankind with God, opening the way for our salvation.. Amazing isn't it that God should love the world so much that he is willing to send his only son into this world to die for us that we may be saved?.

.

The eloquence and the evangelist brilliance of our visiting priest, Father Philip during his homily this Sunday, morning, cannot be captured on paper, you will have to be there to grasp the essence of the message and be awakened by the many soul searching questions posed to the parishioners. Are we walking in the like of Christ Jesus in our daily lives? I especially like the part, "start from your own home". To me, Christmas will always signify a time of hope, a promised fulfilled and renewed Faith of the life to come. Most important of all ,the Great Love a Father has for us..

.

Thank you Father Philip for a bringing new meaning to Christmas during this very special time.The sharing of peace at the begining of mass, takes a little getting use to, but, it certainly brings more meaning to a Echaristic celebration. The "Peace be to you" greetings -brings to essence God into our lives, because God Himself is Peace..