It is hard to appreciate the stars in the sky when you live in a brightly lit city. It can be difficult also to see the true light of Christmas when there are so many other competing constellations. One of the shining lights during the past year was the celebration of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. In those memorable weeks we saw the best of what Ireland, North and South, can do together. Gifts of hospitality, generosity and respect were unwrapped and used in a creative and caring way. For many not involved in the daily care of those with an intellectual disability the challenge is to live the ethos of the Games when the fuss and razzmatazz has died down. Christmas can be like that too with its emphasis over a short period on gifts, meals, family visits and outreach to the homeless and those in need at home and abroad. Just like the seasonal advertisement – pets are not just for Christmas – the spirit inspired by the Christ Child need not be confined to these few weeks. So what can we do in our ‘cash rich’ but ‘time poor’ society to make the spirit of Christmas last? At a commercial level the winter sales take over - but is that it? Are we helpless victims of transglobal sociological trends or do we have the power to shape a society which enshrines the values we celebrate at Christmas? The child of Bethlehem is still talked about 2,000 years later because he made a difference in people’s lives. Jesus made time for the hopeless, healed those sick in mind and body. He challenged the status quo and placed the dignity of each human being before his own need for comfort or acceptance. There are forty days in the Christmas season (25 December – 2 February) and not just the twelve of the popular carol. Could we mark each of these days by doing something particularly Christian? Can we buck the trend by making this season last until February 2nd. After that who knows? They say that ‘life begins at forty’. The Special Olympics Anthem ‘May we never have to say goodbye’ captured the spirit of those involved in the celebrations of June 2003. They didn’t want the magic to end. We too can make Christmas last – each of us can make a difference. Father Pat O’Donoghue Diocesan Director of Music Archdiocese of Dublin December 2003 |