By Eugenio Grandío, Permanent Missionary from Regnum Christi.
December offers us a precious time to rediscover the central role of the family in Christian life. Christmas, more than just a time for festivities, is an opportunity to live and transmit the faith within the family, our “domestic Church”. This term, used since the first centuries of Christianity and reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council, underlines that the home is the place where faith is lived, celebrated and transmitted, becoming a reflection of the universal Church.
In this preparation for Christmas, Advent takes on a special importance. This liturgical season invites us to wait actively and full of hope for the coming of Christ. Families are called to live this time with depth, integrating into their daily lives practices that strengthen their spirituality and union. Advent is the time to put up the tree and the crib, to do it as a family, with children and grandchildren if we have them, listening to traditional carols that sing of the coming of the Savior, enjoying nougat and marzipan and, above all, taking the opportunity to transmit to the family our traditions and to be, as Pope Francis invites us, formators in the fe.
Advent: tTime of esperanza in familia
Advent can live in a meaningful way as a family through small but profound actions. The cAdvent wreath, with its four sails, is a tradition that helps us to focus our attention on the mystery we celebrate. Every Sunday, as we light a candle, it is an ideal time to gather in prayer, reflect on the Word of God and strengthen family ties. It is good here to involve the children to that appreciate l.s Christian customs and traditions and fortifiedzcan your faith in God oour Lord, and in the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and in the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and in the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Redentor.
Another fundamental practice is the preparation of the manger (the Nativity Scene). This simple gesture connects us with the humility of the mystery of the Incarnation. Setting up the Nativity Scene as a family is not only an endearing tradition, but an opportunity to teach children that the birth of Christ is the true center of Christmas.
In addition, family prayer should be promoted. The nights of Advent can be transformed into moments of recollection, to give thanks and pray for love, unity and peace in the home and in the world. Traditions such as the posadas in Latin America are a beautiful example of how Advent can be lived as a community experience of faith. In Mexico, the posada is sung to welcome the pilgrims from the Sagrada Familia, the piñata is broken and a celebration is held in which the oThe birth of the Child God is the center of the event.
Christmas: celebration of the .mor de Dios
When Christmas arrives, the family, as the domestic Church, is called to celebrate the joy of God's love made present in Jesus. The Eucharist should be at the center of these celebrations, remembering that Christ is the reason for the feast. Many families go to Midnight Mass at midnight to celebrate this great feast and then, after the Eucharist, they celebrate the Eucharist. to Christmas dinner, with games for all, and then the giving of gifts as gifts of the birth of the Christ child, our Salvador.
A few days ago we had a Christmas celebration at the grandchildren's kindergarten and they prepared an event to celebrate Christmas around the world and we saw the customs in Germany, Canada, and other countries. In Spain we saw the joy of Bethlehem and how they prepare the feast of the Magi, in South America: Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, the centrality of the celebration in the baby Jesus without snow and the north pole when they are in the southern hemisphere starting the summer.
The Holy Family of Nazareth is presented as the perfect model of love, humility and obedience to God. Imitating their virtues helps families to live this time with a deeper and more Christian meaning. In addition, Christmas is an opportunity to be witnesses of God's love beyond the home. Actions such as participating in charity campaigns, visiting the sick or elderly, and opening the doors of the home to those who are alone reflect the spirit of solidarity and welcoming of the Gospel.
The vreal sChristmas Day
In a world where Christmas tends to be reduced to a commercial event, Christian families are called to be counter-cultural. Keeping Christ at the center of the celebrations is not only a duty, but a witness to the world. Avoiding consumerism and living this time with authenticity, prioritizing love, prayer and service, is the greatest gift a family can give itself and others. It is a bit embarrassing to go to shopping malls and to the public spaces and see lots of lights and lights, spheres, pine trees and Santa Claus. Clauses, and nowhere to be found the figures of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, who are the true protagonists of Christmas. In many places they already greet each other by saying Happy Holidays and avoid saying Merry Christmas, omitting that the meaning of the holidays is the otion of Jesus, our Lord Salvador.
Living Christmas as a domestic Church invites us to rediscover that the home is the place where God makes himself present and calls us to be witnesses of his love in the world. May our families be, like the Holy Family, beacons of faith, hope and charity for all. In our family, it is perhaps the most special time of the year. My wife, Memina, The custom is to arrive in our pajamas and she has tamales, beans and hot chocolate ready for breakfast. “Burrito Sabanero” which is the family's favorite and then everyone puts up the Christmas tree and the Nativity Scene. Of course there is no shortage of arguments and broken orbs and lights that don't turn on, but it's all part of this holiday that we look forward to and enjoy so much and that brings our whole family together. Today it is beautiful to see our children replicating our Christmas tree and Nativity scene. traditionis with their children, our grandchildren, and that, even though they sometimes complained about the for the work involved in all this, Today they do it again with great joy.
