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Christmas Greetings from Székelykeresztúr

Thursday, 24 December 2009 00:00

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Last time I wrote about the idea of fundraising, about the first donations and about our joy and enthusiasm. Since then we have met with many young, adult, worker and retired founders and our joy has multiplied. Now we have sent you $10,500. Take this donation with the love we have in our hearts. With the money I send my Christmas greeting as well. I wish you beautiful celebrations, a peaceful New Year and blessing on your lives.

József, Anna and the congregation of Székelykeresztúr.

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Christmas greeting!

Because of some miracle when Christmas arrives there is a deep silence around us – and maybe inside us. The advent period has been beneficial. The four weeks and the four Sundays forewarned us that Jesus of Nazareth will arrive and will knock at the door of our houses and hearts. He knocked every day during the advent period. And we needed silence to hear his knocking, to open the door of our hearts, to recognize and welcome him.

On Christmas Eve the annunciation nestled us into sleep: the hope of life was born. We closed our eyes in our warm homes surrounded by our family’s love. In our dreams we could relive the Christmas story and we could listen to the angels together with the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all people.”

Then Christmas Day arrives. And we can share our joy, happiness and love with our families, friends with those who are pleased and who are in need, with healthy and sick people. We share the festive sentiment brought by the sounds of the ringing bells which tells us: People of Concord and Székelykeresztúr do not be afraid! I call you with my brazen voice to share the joy of the birth of the child, of the prophet who is teaching the gospel of love.

And now again he is standing in front of the door knocking and asking for admission. Where he steps in, there life and thought essentially changes.

Vision is changing, because we find other things more important than before.

Thinking is changing, because something else will become more essential than before.

Life is changing, because we do things otherwise than before.

We would like this kind of quiet and peaceful Christmas otherness, wouldn’t we? Let’s listen and live with it and if we do, these miracles will happen. And the way in which our children, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends will look at us will be a miracle as well. And if they ask if it is possible to think and live otherwise, we can happily answer them, yes, because it is Christmas.

But just at this time? This is my question today to myself, to us, to you, my brother.

Christmas fair is over, Christmas passes by, manger cradle is taken apart, christmas tree decorations are taken down and put away for the next year. But will this happen to our Christmas hearts as well? What about thinking and living otherwise? It’s up to us if we put it away or we take with us to the New Year.

Before Christmas passes by we should think and pray for this. That’s what I do myself.

May our Christmas be blessed and the New Year happy and peaceful.