If you have been busy from the beginning of this year, you are surprised at how fast the year has gone! If you have not been busy “condolences to you” because you must have been bored so much that you wondered at what such a slow speed this year has been moving. I don’t want to suggest that among the three men proposed by Jesus in the gospel of St. Matthew in chapter twenty five necessarily corresponds to this situation, but we can learn something from it. In a year, we can do much work if we plan well and use our talents and skills.

In the parable of the talents, we know that one made more profit than the other two. What a terrible fear with this last one that he could not make any profit? Anyway, let us put business aside and look at our daily life and see how much we invest in the life of a human being, the cost, the hope and expectations.

In a family, on any village, when a baby is born, it brings a lot of excitement, joy and hope to the people. We all know how much it takes a woman to bring forth a baby. We also know how risky it can be for women that some never survive this exercise. Some die or their babies do.

When a woman gives birth successfully, relatives and friends come to congratulate her, and to see the newly born baby. They are anxious to know whether the baby is a boy or a girl. After knowing the gender, they go deeper to examine the features of this baby, to find out who it resembles, the mother or the father?

When all this is done, the parents will now begin to look at their baby and imagine or prophesy what the baby would become once it is grown up. It is common in some parts of the world that when that the baby is a boy, the father will have more joy and hope. He would say, “Look, this man will remain behind when am gone and he will generate more members in my family”. The mother on the other hand would have her own wishes and expectations as well if the baby is a girl. Such wishes might even prompt the parents to imagine names that would suit their wishes in the child.

The name could also reflect the troubles or joys they went through before they got the child. Wise parents however, would never say publicly what their wishes and expectations are concerning the child. They would do as the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus did at her discovery that her baby-boy Jesus was an extraordinary one, and she kept and pondered on all that was happening to Him. What will He become, she would ask? What is the meaning of His name? What is his mission?

Many parents would ask such questions about their babies and would watch them carefully as they grow. For us who have chosen Jesus Christ, what questions do we have about Him who has been born to us by the Virgin Mary? What are our wishes and expectations from Him, If we were mothers ready to give birth to this extraordinary baby in our hearts and in our fraternities what would people say about Him? Whom would He resemble? Which name would we give Him? What would be your expectations and wishes from Him? Would you see him in all people you meet so that you would work and co-operate with all of them as one family?

Join me in thanking God for all the good He enabled us to do in this year, and may He bless you and your resolutions and wishes of the New Year. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!