The Christmas season officially ends today, with the Baptism of Jesus Christ, according to the belief of the Catholic Church.
As Christmas, described by many as a season of fuss and extravagance, ends, will the spirit of Christmas die with it?
Are we going to stop mending broken friendships? Are we going to cease sharing our blessings to less fortunate people? Are we going to stop loving and caring and continue again after 11 months?
It is so tragic to think that for many, Christmas is a mere one-night religion and reduced it to mere sentimentality, a traditional feast.
It is so sardonic to hear people say we wish "Christmas is everyday but it would be too expensive" because they equate this special day to giving expensive gifts.
As Christians we were taught that the real meaning of Christmas is not the material gifts and presents we give and receive, it is not the amount of delicacies we feast on the dining table, but the remembrance that a Savior is vulnerably and humbly born.
The bottom line is that Christmas is not seasonal, it does not come only once a year, rather it is a way of life. The lesson it brings is for us to be Christ-like, to live a life of humility and love.
Being a Christian is not seasonal but a lifetime commitment.
I want to think that I am not a "C to E" Christian, meaning a Christian only during Christmas and Easter. Yet, I could neither claim I am a devout, unblemished one. I commit mistakes, I disobey rules, I shun moral norms but at the end of the day, after realization, I do repent and ask for forgiveness.
It is not easy to live a Christ-like life because we are just humans. Yet our being humans should not be used as an excuse for living in the image of Christ.
It is just a matter of faith, and a matter of choice!
There is no reason for you to raise your brows then, when someone suddenly greets you "Merry Christmas" at the middle of the year.
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