Christmas

January 4, 2015

                I’d like to start by sharing about our Christmas celebration here in Japan.  Leading up to Christmas, Adam and I attended Simbang Gabi which is a Filipino tradition.  They have a novena (9 days) of Masses leading up to Christmas.  In the Philippines, the Masses are held very early in the morning, but at Ogaki parish,, which operates on Filipino time, they were set to start at 7:30 pm, according to Father's after Mass announcement, which really meant to come for 8:00 pm because Mass starts at 8:30 pm ;-) Needless to say, we were always the first ones to arrive each night. That said, we were warmly welcomed into the Filipino community and Father even started doing his homilies in English for us.  After Mass, people bring food to share.  It was a really great way to prepare for Christmas. 

Christmas this year was really different for me.  For one, we weren’t around family and we were in Japan.  The biggest difference though was being in a non-Christian country.  Christmas here is a regular work day.  It’s true that stores put up Christmas trees and everyone “knows” who Santa Claus is, but no one really celebrates Christmas.  In Canada, I think most people, whether raised Christian or not, at least have some awareness that Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Here, people don’t know that Christmas is a religious holiday.  Adam was giving presentations on Christmas in the classrooms and was wondering how he could incorporate the origins of the holiday.  It was interesting to see how difficult it was for us to try and think of how to introduce the Christian story.  Jesus coming as a Savior- as God become flesh- isn’t just the nativity story.  To have the full effect you need to know how the Jewish people were waiting for hundreds of years for a savior and how Jesus came to die for us.  But there’s so so so so much more that you can get into.  So, how do you begin to explain at least some of the Nativity story to ESL students.  To be in a “world” where Christ is basically unknown was a very different experience for us this Christmas season. 

                Despite the different experience, I found that I prepared better for Christmas spiritually this year.  I think that, in the past, Advent got put in second place behind exams and end of semester papers, buying gifts, travelling, spending time with family, etc.  This year we didn’t have any of those things that can act as distractions. 

                We attended Christmas Eve Mass at Ogaki parish.  The Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, Japanese, and English (us) communities gathered together to celebrate Mass.  Living in Japan has helped me appreciate the universality of the Catholic Church.  It’s such a blessing to attend Mass and to follow the scripture readings, the prayers, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist with our English translations.

                It is really incredible to think that all over the world Mass is being offered.  That every day Jesus is becoming the bread in the consecration and that the faithful are receiving Him.  That He is physically becoming a part of us, all throughout the world.  Not just figuratively making us into one body, but physically.  This is wonderful and amazing and so so good.  I’ve been thinking about hope and how much good there is in the world.  I know that it may seem that there’s more evil than good in the world.  I recently finished reading I believe in Love by Father Jean D’Elbee.  In this book, he writes, “Evil displays itself; good remains unknown.”  I think this is true.  After all, if someone goes around telling everyone about the good deed s/he did, s/he is seen as prideful.  I’ve been reflecting on all the “hidden” good in the world: the kindness and warm welcome shown to Adam and me, people giving up their seats on the train, priests offering their lives to serve the Church.  Finally, since Christ has come into the world and conquered evil, how could I believe, despite how much evil may manifest itself, that there is more evil?  

So there you have it- how we spent our Christmas and my personal reflections. :)