Christmas is just few weeks away. As a celebration of the Saviour’s birth, the Church also calls our attention to the second coming of the Messiah. We are called to stand in an expectant hope for his coming.

he Christmas season is a season of joy and happiness. This may not be the experience of many. It may be because people have different views on happiness. Let me illustrate this by these two letters sent by two different persons, which appeared in the column “Dear Abby.”

The first letter is from a 15-year old girl which read as follows:

Dear Abby: Happiness is not having your parents scold you if you come home late, having your own bedroom, and getting the telephone call you’ve been hoping for. Happiness is belonging to a popular group, being dressed as well as anybody, and having a lot of spending money. Happiness is something I don’t have. –15 and Unhappy

Shortly after the letter was published, “Dear Abby” received a reply from a 13-year-old girl who wrote:

Dear Abby: Happiness is being able to walk and talk, to see and hear. Unhappiness is reading a letter from a 15-year-old girl who can do all four things and still says she isn’t happy. I can talk, I can see, I can hear. But I can’t walk.–13 and Happy

What is our outlook on happiness? Certainly, happiness is not guaranteed by what we have, nor is happiness beyond our reach because of what we don’t have.

Happiness consists in experiencing God present in our lives – in good times and in bad times; amidst plenty and amidst poverty. Happiness is listening to God who communicates to us through his Son.

“God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (Jn. 3:16). God’s gift to us is joyously
announced by the angel to the shepherds. This is the heart of Christmas. This is the essence of Christmas – giving out of love – generously and selflessly.

Giving out of love the way God gave to us implies giving some-thing of ourselves. This kind of personal giving might take the form of inspiring someone to be a better person or do something great. It may happen whenever we bring peace to the troubled, hope to the downcast and love to the lonely.(A. Cylwicki)

This poem sums up Christmas giving out of love – generously and selflessly- the way God gave to us:

What is the best gift to give at Christmas?
To your offenders, forgiveness
To your opponents, tolerance
To your children, devotion
To your parents, reverence
To your fellow workers, cooperation To your friends, generosity
To yourself, respect
To all, charity.