"Offer your Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense to Jesus this Christmas" said Bishop Selvister Ponnumuthan at the Christmas Retreat organized by Global Media Cell. Your offerings can be your evil attitude, actions or even words. When we offer this shortcomings to the Lord, he will in turn grant us peace and happiness.

The Magi (the three kings) did not take the same path on their return journey after visiting the Infant Jesus. They took a different path after offering everything they brought to Jesus . T.S. Eliot the Anglican poet in his poem ‘Journey of the Magi’ wrote “I had seen birth and death”. The death of our old self, and a birth of our new self is what the Magi experienced. We should experience the same birth and death not only on Christmas day but everyday of our life, during every Holy Mass.

During the Pandemic let us remember that the Lord is with us always. Death is a reality of life hence we should always be prepared to meet him when he beckons. The name Emmanuel always reminds that “God is with us” in any situation of our lives. When we hear during the Holy Mass “the Lord be with you” we are reminded of the fact that He is with us. We should be able to nurture this thought in our lives.

Saint Paul the Apostle said in 2 Timothy 1:12, “and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him.” We are to bear the same thought in our mind and question ourselves, to whom have I entrusted my faith? My faith is in Jesus Christ “The Emmanuel”. This thought should be in our conscious and sub-conscious mind. When we celebrate Christmas, we should remain rooted in Jesus and journey to the Kingdom of God.

The star that guided the shepherds and the Magi to the stable in Bethlehem represents the Word of God. As it is said in Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. Let’s pray and hope that the Word of God be a guiding light in our lives, concluded the Bishop. 

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