Pubudu News

The people of the whole world prepare with great respect and honour to celebrate the feast of Christmas. With Christians spiritually preparing to celebrate the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ for four weeks during the season of Advent, people in the renewal remained in the Sri Prashansaramaya for three days and reflected on the true meaning of Christmas and the deep mystery of the Incarnation. They awakened to Christmas as an experience which is beyond a mere celebration. Here, through personal and collective prayer, and by meditating on the Word of God, they purposed to make Christmas a time of experiencing a new birth in their lives.

The uniqueness of a Christian feast is the ability to experience the feast anew. The love of God that was experienced on that first Christmas is experienced through the Holy Mass on Christmas day. For this, our internal preparation is very important. Likewise, the feast of Christmas that we celebrate today receives its significance from Christ’s resurrection. The good news that impacted the lives of the first Christian community and the four evangelists was also the resurrection of Christ.

This is evident in that only two apostles (Matthew and Luke) directly mention Christ’s birth and childhood. The Christmas retreat leads to a very deep reflection on the way Christmas has been presented by the four evangelists in each of the gospels. Deep meditation on the Gospel of John reveals the Son who is the Word, present since the beginning of creation, as the light that enlightens all people.

As an opportunity to take what they have contemplated thus far and express it practically, together, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons made four cribs, reflecting the unique way in which each Gospel author presented the birth of Christ according to the purpose and vision with which they wrote their Gospel. The joy of salvation in Christ incarnate was experienced in a powerful life-changing session of healing through praise and worship. Finally, through the celebration of the midnight mass, everyone present shared and wished each other the joy of Christmas and new birth which they had experienced, and concluded the Christmas retreat as servants of Christ taking this experience of great joy and love with them back to their homes.