leela_ramdeen@hotmail.com

www.rcsocialjusticett.org

True mystery of Christmas

• Time for reflection during Ad-vent.
• Peace on Earth, goodwill to all.
• Bring Christmas cheer to oth-ers.

Recently I attended a Christmas dinner at a school and was saddened to be greeted by a sign that read: “Happy Holidays.” Now more than ever in T&T we need to remind ourselves of the “reason for the season,” the reason for this sacred and holy time of the year.

Within the past three weeks two of my brother’s children became proud fathers in London. What profound joy we experienced when we heard that the babies had arrived safely. For months we had waited, hoping that the babies would be delivered safely and that their mothers would be fine.

Compare the joy of the birth of a child in your family to the joy that should fill us at the birth of Christ—God’s greatest gift to humanity.

Advent is a time of preparation, a time of anticipation as we wait “in joyful hope” for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas. Do we really appreciate the wonder of the Incarnation, when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us? Now is the time to prepare ourselves spiritually for this great day as we look forward also to the second coming of Christ.

Let’s reflect on our lives and on the state of play in our country and in the world. And while many of us spend an enormous amount of time cleaning and decorating our homes, let’s take time to clean our hearts through penance and repentance.

Christmas is a time to commit ourselves to work towards a change of heart, to thank God for the talents he has given to us and to strive to use these to make a difference in our world.

This is the time when key personnel in the corporate world should also be thinking of ways in which their companies can make a difference.

Recently I attended the fifth phase of Republic Bank’s Power to Make a Difference programme, which was first launched in 2003. The bank’s contribution of $46.2 million during a five-year period to various NGOs will complement the work of our Government, individuals, NGOs and CBOs, eg to alleviate poverty, promote youth development, assist our senior citizens, promote education and sports.

I hope that the bank’s “unswerving commitment to sustainable development” rubs off on other members of our corporate world so that they will follow Republic’s example. Many companies in T&T continue to make huge profits and fail to plough back some to help build our country.

If we are to promote corporate social responsibility, companies should extend their generosity not only at Christmas time but throughout the year. Their social investment in T&T will help to make a difference.

As I listened to Subash Ramjattan, CEO of Bridge of Hope, Sangre Grande, and to Three Canal singing two of my favourite songs, Good News and Morning Neighbour, my heart filled with hope. Christmas is a time to celebrate the ethic of caring and compassion that exists in T&T.

All is not doom and gloom. While those with criminal intent try to steal the heart of our country, somewhat like Dr Seuss’ Grinch who stole Christmas, there are tens of thousands of our people who labour daily to bring about positive changes in T&T and in the world. Christmas is a time to celebrate this fact.

Let us also remember that we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper. We must continue to strive to bring those who have gone off the “rails” back onto the right track, to live as God wants them to live. Recently the media shared photos of small children visiting their fathers and mothers in prison during this Christmas season. What a touching sight.

Prof Deosaran says that a large proportion of prisoners have no families to return to on their release from prison. I hope the restorative justice approach that is being developed by the Prison Service will go some way to address issues such as this.

One of the Christmas cards I received recently contained some of the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1863 poem Christmas Bells, part of which has been put to music: I heard the bells on Christmas Day.

Longfellow’s wife had died in a fire two years before he wrote the poem. He received news that his son, Charles, who was serving as lieutenant in the Union Army, had been wounded in the American Civil War. The first stanza conjures up a warm, peaceful image:

“I heard the bells on Christmas

Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words re-

peat

Of peace on earth, good-will to

men!”

But despair sets in by the 4th stanza as he dwells on the misery of war and how the cannons used in the civil war “thunders” and drowns the sound of carols “Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”:

“And in despair I bowed my head;

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I

said;

‘For hate is strong and mocks the

song

‘Of peace on earth, good-will to

men!’”

His despair is short-lived as the sound of the church bells ringing seems to jolt him out of his despair:

“Then pealed the bells more loud

and deep:

‘God is not dead; nor doth He

sleep!

‘The Wrong shall fail, the Right

prevail,

‘With peace on earth, good-will to

men!’”

Today at every turn we see a lack of respect for life and an absence of peace. Hatred seems “strong.” Our response must not be to hang our heads in despair. As we await the coming of the Christ-child, we should be heartened by Longfellow’s words. As the saying goes: God wears pyjamas but He does not sleep.

Amidst all our personal and collective trials and tribulations, let’s remember that “right”’ will prevail in the end.

Christ came to bring us salvation, life and peace built on justice. As we prepare to greet the birth of the Prince of Peace, may our hearts be filled with love and peace. Pope Benedict XVI said:

“The true mystery of Christmas is the inner light radiating from this child (Jesus). May that inner light spread to us, and enkindle in our hearts the flame of God’s goodness… The world can draw courage from the little child of Bethlehem and with Christ’s help and guidance, confront the many troubling problems of the present time.”

As you prepare for Christmas, take time to bring some Christmas cheer to others—not only to those in your family. And parents, particularly fathers, I am sure that more than any commercial gift, your children would appreciate it if you give yourself in love to them.

I wish you and your family a holy and peaceful Christmas.

n Leela Ramdeen is a lawyer

and education consultant