Lessons from Red Headed Robbie: A Christmas Reflection

What can we learn from Red Headed Robbie?

1. Give before you take. The spirit of giving is something that we oftentimes hear during Christmastime even in Christmas songs, “Give love on Christmas day…” And yet, we seem to limit giving simply to material things like toys, material gifts, etc. to things that purely satisfy the senses. Christmas is turning to become more like a reason to shop rather than to foster our spiritual relationship to Christ, whose birth we commemorate on this day.

With this kind of outlook, real celebration is limited only for those who are financially capable. But Christmas is primarily a religious event. We only need a sense of faith in order to truly celebrate. Let us then enrich our faith through the celebration of Christmas.

Robbie was right to have pointed it out: “It is not about getting presents. It’s a time we give gifts to people who have less than us.” Are we ready to give gifts to people who have less than us? Are we ready to give more than just material gifts?

2. Show kindness to someone new. Someone “new” could be a new neighbor; a new schoolmate who may just be trying his/her way to fit in. Or it could be someone whom you have lived with for so long and yet you never spent sometime getting to know him/her and never showed any signs of care and love. Do you have a member of the family who qualifies to this category?

Again, Robbie was right: “Christmas isn’t a time for being cool. It’s a time for being NICE to someone new, maybe someone who is shy (different, weird, etc.)”

3. Forgive a person who has hurt you. Forgiveness is one of the hardest thing to do not only during Christmas, but I believe, in any occasion especially if the person we are talking about has hurt us greatly. It is hard to forgive. We cannot forget that’s for sure, but surely we can forgive. Jesus is always the greatest example of forgiveness. He forgave the ones who betrayed Him; he forgave the ones who sentenced Him to death; He forgave all of us who brought Him to the cross. Surely, Jesus did not forget as he showed His wounded hands during one of His appearances at the resurrection, but He has forgiven us without any reservation.

Christmas reminds us of the ultimate love of the Father for sending His Son in order that we may have life through Christ’s birth: We give before we take because Christ who is born on Christmas gave Himself humbly by being born in the manger; We show kindness to someone new because Christ knows no prejudice but love and tolerance; and more importantly, we forgive because forgiveness is the most noble act that Jesus did in order to give us life and have it to the full.

Let us rejoice as Christ is born to us and among us. Amen.

Some suggestions to do today and tomorrow:

1. Gather the whole family around the altar or the crib and pray the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. This is best done in the evening.

2. Think of a gift we would want to offer as a present to the birthday Celebrant on Christmas. This could be a good deed, forgiving your enemy in your heart and praying for him/her.

3. Include in your meal prayer a prayer for peace in our country and the world.

4. Plan with the whole family when to go to Mass on Christmas.

God bless us and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!!!