The Crib

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons. The Christmas ornaments you can see in houses and malls, the carols they played on the radio, the crispness that you can feel in the air…these bring me joy and excitement. But what completes my happiness is the crib that the church displays as Christmas day draws near.

I had three Nativity set at home. I bought the first one when we went at Brickworks. It’s a second-hand one and there are missing characters such as the oxen, ram, donkey and the shepherd.

The second set (and my favorite one) came from a charity shop close to work. It has all the characters and the figures and crib were lovingly hand-made by less-fortunate children here in Adelaide. The third set is really not mine. This belongs to my kids. It’s a gift to them from our parish for joining their sacramental program.

I don’t know why, but every time I look at the crib I feel a sense of contentment and happiness. This serves as a reminder of how fortunate I am. Indeed life is not pleasant all the time. There are heaps of rough days but when I think of the nativity scene, of baby Jesus born in a manger, all my worries and fears were replaced with serenity and gratitude.

I may not have all the luxuries in this world but compared to Jesus I am very lucky to be born in a hospital, to sleep in a comfortable bed, to live and grow in a warm and nice house, to wear beautiful clothes and shoes. All of these things made me realized that I should learn to be satisfied and be thankful, to take each day one at a time and to treat trials as a way to strengthen my relationship with God.