Hope

Every year, as early as the beginning of November, we  find people who start posting photos of their Christmas decorations. It is not the first time that beneath these photos we find comments from people who disagree on having decorations put up so early, stating that it is more befitting to do so in December.

Despite this, this year I have noticed that there weren’t many of such comments. Many people are already decorating, and since we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, it is clear that this year, decorations do not only serve for a  joyful atmosphere at home, but also as a tool which can kindle hope in a difficult moment that continues to enlighten a season that is difficult and dark.

We have started Advent, which is a season of waiting – a waiting which is however, full of hope, a waiting which, with the passing of the days and the weeks, kindles a greater hope. All this reminds me of the experience of pregnancy which a woman goes through, and which is also experienced by the father, of a baby who is still growing in the womb. Pregnancy is an experience of waiting, in which there can be difficult moments, moments of fear and moments of helplessness. However, it is also a waiting full of hope, because the child that you are waiting to hold in your arms, is already within you, and the more the weeks and the months pass by, the more you take heart, that this hope will not delude you, and that you will still be able to see and embrace the person that is growing within.

This week we are presenting to the children the character of the ‘angel’ in the Christmas story, in which it is so clear that angels are bearers of hope. The angle Gabriel announced hope to Mary; he tells her that she will be carrying within her the salvation of Israel, and the hope of the whole world. The angels of Betlehem are those who sing the hope, who bear it to those who are mostly in need of it – the shepherds, the poorest of the poor.

Without any doubt, we all find ourselves in the same boat – that of the pandemic – however we are all encountering different waves, some are facing waves of low finances due to unemployment, others face psycological problems and illness. Thereupon, we are all in need of a word of encouragement, that at the end of this difficult and challenging year, there is hope for better times, and that what happened on the first Christmas, that peace and joy – despite the coldness of the cave and the poverty of the manger, can also be born in our hearts.

This year, for us parents, this is going to be a less hectic Advent as we are going to have less of that frenzy which usually characterizes the month of December. However, it will offer us a unique opportunity to make more space and listen to this message of hope that we so desperately need. May this year make the wonder and joy of this time of the year, not only visible on our children’s faces, but also in our own eyes, because this is season that can offer something to all of us, young and old. May you all have a blessed Advent!