[reactions+reflections] What is Christmas?

There are two important words that priests in their homilies during this past Christmas "season" emphasized on.

"Silent" and "Family."

Before I delve into those two words, let me mention one of the things that the priests said that stuck.  "It's not the year of the pig, or the ox, or the rat, or whatever animal.  It's the year of the Lord."  Ladies and gentlemen, you either (a) believe in God, (b) you believe in horoscopes, western and Chinese zodiacs, good luck and bad luck, or superstitions, or (c) you don't believe in anything.  Which one best describes you, (a), (b), or (c)?

Anyway...

"Silent night, holy night..." goes the popular Christmas song.  The priest said this song captures exactly what happened during that night when Jesus was born.  It was a silent night.  There was no celebration.  There was no partying.  Heck, Herod shouldn't know about Jesus' birth or else...  When the 3 kings found Jesus, they did not eat, drink, and be merry.

So, when's your next Christmas party? :-D

While all that is fine - the priest reminds us that really, much like Mary particularly was, we should devote some time to silence - outer silence that is.  Inside, we should devote some time to prayer, to talking to God.  Christmas is not Christmas without prayer.  Take Mary's example.  Can you imagine yourself being unwed, a virgin, and yet you are pregnant (during a time when such was still unheard of).  And that the baby you are carrying will be the Son of God.  Can you imagine?  Mary found comfort in God, through her prayers and constant communication with him.

And then Mary became the Mother of God.  The priests emphasized on family, family, family.  There are the roles that the father/husband, the mother/wife, and the children each have to play.  And of course, the family means ONE father/husband, ONE mother/wife, and then the children.  Indeed it is a broken family if there is one of these not present.

It is difficult right now to speak of how important is such a word, such a concept - of family.  But it is very important and it is the key to everything.  The thing is, we were given the families we have right now - we can't do anything about that.  What we can do something about is what our future families will be like.  We will become husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers, and of course, continue to be children.  What can we do so that we have families, present and future, that God had wanted?

I guess there in lies the connection between these two important words: Silence (in prayer) and Family.