Skip to main content

Christmas is the gifts of love and fellowship; of mercy and reconciliation; of sharing and caring; of justice and solidarity

By Fr Cedric Prakash, sj*
One of the most meaningful features of the Christmas Season is that of gift-giving! Across the globe, people love to give gifts at Christmas to others and of course to receive gifts too! Gifts come in a whole range: from the inexpensive yet lovingly hand-made card to perhaps a gold-crusted diamond purchased from an expensive jewelry store! Santa Claus (a caricature of the saintly Bishop Nicholas who went round caring for the poor and the hungry) comes laden with gifts; Christmas stockings bulge with gifts and one can find gifts below the family Christmas tree.
Children look forward to the Childrens Celebrations during the Christmas week when they will receive gifts- it does not matter if they are just trinkets; or some made-in China’ stuff; balloons or plastic toys!Giving gifts at Christmastime perhaps originated from the fact that when the shepherds ran in haste to worship Jesus they probably took with them the best of their flock to present to the new-born King. The little shepherd boy had nothing to offer Jesus; just the music he could play on his drum: that was his gift! The Bible makes no mention of all this (media today rarely reports the good done by the poor and simple folk). What however takes the cake, are the gifts offered by the Magi (the three Kings): gold, frankincense and myrrh. All these gifts were rich in symbolism: gold of kingship on earth; frankincense as symbol of God; and myrrh to remind one of death and mortality. There perhaps lies the cue as to why gift-giving during Christmas has such a central place.
Gift giving, continues today; but unfortunately the gift today is merchandise which has to be purchased by the shops that lure us; by the tinsels and baubles; the advertisements and commercials; the discounts and the sales. The gifts today come with a price-tag; often very expensive! It is no longer the giver that counts but the value put on the materiality of the gift! If the gift is wrapped in an attractive paper and tied with the right ribbons then there is added value to the gift! After all, in a highly commercialized and consumeristic world we are made to believe that branding and presentation is what matters most.
What we all need to realise that the real gifts of Christmas have nothing to do with the material of this world; they are not gaudy or glitzy; they are not sophisticated or expensive. These gifts cannot be purchased in a super mall or even in a Christmas bazaar. They are there for the asking: for giving and receiving! They are totally free: one only needs the humility, the transparency and the courage to see them as the real gifts of Christmas
Christmas is Jesus! The most complete and precious gift of the season; a non-negotiable! There is no Christmas without Jesus. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."(Jn3:16). The essence of Christmas is that Jesus comes to us as our Saviour. Sadly we live in a world which has very systematically taken Jesus out of Christmas. We are made to believe that Santa Claus and Christmas trees; the jazzy lighting and the heavy decorations are all that matter. We conveniently forget that Jesus was born in a manger in the midst of stench and squalor. Mary and Joseph did not even have enough of clothing to wrap up their just-born child. Jesus is indeed the greatest gift of Christmas!
Christmas is Joy! The Joy to the world as revealed centuries earlier by the Prophet Isaiah (9:1-7). The angels proclaim this joy on a melodious note, Glory to God in the highest (Lk.2:14). The specificity of this joy is that the ones who receive these glad tidings first are the shepherds. It is an extraordinary gift for these poor, simple, ordinary folk who live a tough life on the periphery of society; people who are marginalized and vulnerable yet are pure of heart. It was a totally unexpected gift: but perhaps the best gifts, the most meaningful accolades, are those we never expect! The ways of God are strange: he lifts these ordinary folk with the good news through the angels. Their hearts are filled with joy! The only way they can express this gift is to run in haste and worship Jesus the Saviour. The gift of unbounded joy-beautifully wrapped in simplicity and spontaneity, poverty and magnanimity!
Christmas is Peace! A gift given to all by the angels as they sing And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased”. A vibrant, living peace: a peace which is not the prerogative of a few, but needs to be shared with all! In the context of what is happening in our world today: it is a gift which we all desperately need! Peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our neighbourhoods, peace in our countries, peace among warring nations. A peace which silences conflicts and the military-industrial complex. We are all called to be channels of Gods peace: just like the shepherds that first Christmas night. To be bridges, to heal our broken world, to be reconcilers in the midst of divisiveness and fragmentation, to be merciful yet courageous to take a stand, when those around, make hate and violence their primary aim. It is a gift from Jesus Peace be with you! My peace I leave! My peace I give you!”
Christmas is Tenderness! Mary, the mother of Jesus embraces her newborn with the gift of tenderness. Her tender loving care of her son is a gift to the world. It is a gift which Pope Francis has been constantly speaking about- the revolution of tenderness. In a TED talk on 26 April 2017, Pope Francis said, “And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands. Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women. Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Mary epitomizes this tenderness. She is the revolutionary of tenderness. A gift we need to willingly and gladly share today with many.
Christmas is Hospitality! The manger was a warm and welcoming place for Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus! There were surely the animals in the stable but there must have been some poor people there that night too, who looked after the animals. These were the people who made Mary as comfortable as possible, so that she could give birth to Jesus. They would have given of their all to these strangers who earlier had the terrible experience of being told that there was no room to stay in the inn. Later on, the Holy Family had to seek refuge in Egypt to escape the murderous wrath of King Herod! There in Egypt they once again found welcome and hospitality. Our world today has millions of refugees and other forcibly displaced; unfortunately, there is a growing rise of xenophobia, racism, jingoism, bigotry, exclusiveness and discrimination. The Gift of hospitality, the courage to welcome strangers and make them feel at home in our midst is what Christmas is all about!
Christmas is all these gifts and much more! The gifts of love and fellowship; of mercy and reconciliation; of sharing and caring; of justice and solidarity; of dignity and equity; of hope and life. The list is endless. These are gifts which no money can buy! There is no sales- pitch or advertisements. These are gifts of the spirit which have to reflect in our attitudes and essentially be translated into substantial action. They have to be internalized and mainstreamed; joyfully and lovingly shared with others. Christmas is Christmas only when we have the courage to gift Jesus and the values of his Kingdom: Joy, Peace, Tenderness, Hospitality and the rest, unconditionally to those around us!
---
*Human rights activist, currently based in Lebanon, engaged with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the Middle East on advocacy and communications

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey*   Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.
5 comments
»

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD *  It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.
Post a Comment
»

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan*  “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.
3 comments
»

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria*  Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74. 
Post a Comment
»

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram*  In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.
Post a Comment
»

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher  South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.
Post a Comment
»

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan*    The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by  Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.
1 comment
»

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah  A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.
2 comments
»

Unpaid overtime, broken promises: Indian Oil workers strike in Panipat

By Rosamma Thomas  Thousands of workers at the Indian Oil Corporation refinery in Panipat, Haryana, went on strike beginning February 23, 2026. They faced a police lathi charge, and the Central Industrial Security Force fired into the air to control the crowd.
Post a Comment
»