Have we forgotten the true meaning and purpose of Christmas? Because we are too caught up with celebrations, Christmas tree stockings, presents and Santa to delve into what the Christmas story really symbolises?
On this episode of Buzz by the Bay Anushka Jagtiani speaks to Father Joshan Rodrigues, the Chief Editor of The Examiner, the 175-year-old Catholic News Weekly and the official magazine of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He is currently serving at the Saint Joseph's RC Church in Colaba.
The conversation looks beyond commercialisation to unpack why Christmas is about hope, empathy, faith, and God being "with us" (Emmanuel).
Fr. Rodrigues explains why Jesus was born in poverty, and how Christmas represents the impossible becoming possible.
Anushka: Is the true meaning of Christmas lost?
Fr. Rodrigues: Well, in a certain way, yes and no. Christmas is being highly commercialized, and you can see that when you go into the markets with all the decorations and Christmas trees and Santas. And sometimes, unfortunately, I think that becomes the main attraction of Christmas.
Sometimes the true meaning of Christmas does get lost, which is actually about the coming of God on Earth, about the birth of the Savior, but of course, this message is kept alive in churches and communities and families, especially across the Christian community.
Anushka: As you said, it's about God taking human form. Can you elaborate on that?
Fr. Rodrigues: So, the true message of Christmas is actually, God being there for us. The word that is often used at Christmas time, you would hear in churches is Emmanuel, which is the word that the angels give to the child Jesus, Emmanuel means God is with us.
And that, I think, is a message of great hope for everyone, irrespective of which faith you belong to. That irrespective of the circumstances of your life. Whatever the challenges you are facing, God is there with you to help you along the way. So God is not someone who's distant from you, staying in some heaven, far away on some universe, far away.
