Christmas: Communion, Participation and Mission

Come December and there is smile on everyone’s face. The reasons can be numerous. It’s the end of another year. It is the festive season. The shops are all lit up with Christmas symbols. There are carols being played and everyone is ready to shop for the occasion. The cribs, stars, decoration and sweets are getting ready. The images of Santa are seen in every nook and corner adding glamour to the season.

After the four weeks of intense preparations on the theme of hope, love, joy and peace, we will yet once again celebrate the mystery of incarnation – God becoming human. Divine in search of human. We celebrate the sacrifice of God for His giant step for the love of us all: Leaving heaven and being born in a stable.

We have also began our Synodal Journey desired by our Pope Francis, which will take place in three phases of consultation – diocesan, continental and universal level which will culminate in October 2023 in Rome. The theme: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission urges to reflect and revisit the whole church ever since the II Vatican Council. In this context we can bring to our mind three Biblical images of the church:

• The People of God,
• The body of Christ,
• The temple of the Holy Spirit.

We can also look at it from the point of view of Incarnation where God through Jesus Christ chose to commune with humanity by choosing to be born as a human person in its utter poverty and simplicity.

We further note that Jesus Christ participated and lived his whole life in all its humanness, reaching out to the poor and needy, there by fulfilling the mission entrusted to Him by His heavenly Father by finally dying on the cross as a criminal.

This synodal theme also places before us a strong challenge of communion, participation and mission in both the dimension of our religious life – Ad Intra and Ad extra. Based on the theme and what we celebrate on Christmas day its high time we re-visit our personal life as a consecrated Religious Confrere.

What role do I play to build my religious community?

How do I participate in the community to enhance the community life?

What is my contribution to achieve the mission entrusted to my community?

These questions should help me move deeper into the call given by the Pope to the whole Church and our own mission entrusted to us by our society.

May this December be a Holy One to me and bring in transformation in the places where it is needed. May this December be not just external attires filled with goodies of fun and festivity of Santa but may it be a deep and meaningful one bringing in lessons from the scenes of Incarnation.

May we try to experience this Christ in our life, so that when we wish our brethren on Christmas day, may the positive vibes of our experience with