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Christmas. A lovely word to hear. A season everybody is excited about!
But what does it really mean? What is its importance for us as students?
To our school president, our high school principal, school administrators, teachers, and fellow students, good morning.
Yesterday was the first Sunday of advent. But what does that signify? Well, as a member of Media Club, I researched the Internet and found some answers. And here are the following:
… Merriam-Webster defines Christmas as a Christian feast on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Christ, and Advent is the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting.
Wikipedia on the other hand defined Advent, from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming", as a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.
A friend of mine in Facebook defined the season as vacation, celebrating parties, having fun, getting gifts, and a time to sleep and not do anything.
But isn’t Advent and Christmas more than these?
Christmas, we must remember, is fundamentally about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. It is more than a day or a season; it signifies our salvation, the promise of forgiveness and everlasting life. And of course a reminder of our eternal duty to love and do good unto others. And Advent is simply to prepare us for the coming of this day.
But if Advent and Christmas is this important, it is an immense task to prepare for, isn’t it? But as a student, is there anything we can do?
Yes, we can help in the preparation in our small and simple ways. I, for instance, can prepare for the season by spending more time with my family and helping in the little chores at home. Not only we can learn more practical things, we get a little exercise.
Or we can use up more time studying to get better grades rather than to surfing what is more than necessary in the Internet. With barely three weeks left in the 3rd quarter, it will be nice to get better scores in our quizzes and activities.
And of course, we can pray for others, especially those who are in great pain and need. A little time we sacrifice would do great healing.
Indeed, these may be small things, but I know, in the long run, these will greatly contribute to our progress to become better persons, not just for the sake of our family or for others but also for ourselves.
So how about you, my dear schoolmates? To end, I would like to leave you these questions for reflection. How do you plan to spend the Advent and prepare for Christmas? Even in the simplest of your ways, how do you plan to serve others? And how are you to become a better person?
May everyone have a wonderful and meaningful Advent! Thank you and good day!
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