I wrote this prayer which I used today in my homily. Quite a few parishioners asked for a copy. And so, here it is for everyone to reflect on as we prepare for the birth of Jesus:
Lord God, deliver
me from a false Christmas – that Christmas which robs me from a Christian
spirit and fills me only with an abundance of material things. Deliver us from
the frenetic rush which leaves us with no time for You. Deliver us from the
buying of things we don’t need, we cannot wear or we cannot use. Deliver us
from the moods which eliminate the true Christian spirit this season creates.
For once, dear Lord, make us get rid of the sound of coins jangling,
cell-phones beeping, car horns blowing, cars dashing by, and instead let us
listen to the song of the Angels. For once, allow me to fill my soul with the
reading of the story of the Nativity, and instead of filling my stomach with
puddings and cakes and other delicacies, let me fill myself with the simplicity
of the spirit which the shepherds showed towards baby Jesus, with the spirit of
generosity the Kings showed with their meaningful gifts, and with the joy the
Angels showed as they proclaimed ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace on
earth.’
Lord God, do not let me fall victim to the false traps of this season, while losing the reason why this season actually comes every year in December. Deliver us Lord from the uncontrollable overeating, from one party after another, for excessive use of those plastic cards, and the cyber temptation to overspend in ‘online’ shopping. And deliver us from the frenzy of gift-giving, and remind me to give one gift to Him for whom the entire world stops in admiration on December 25th. And to admire His presence, use His advice, and sing to Him as they do to us once a year ‘Happy Birthday dear Jesus!’
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