If you feel lonely this Christmas, you are not alone. Sad Christmas songs are popular because many of them strum a sensitive chord.
But how widespread is loneliness in this holiday season? Statistics say that nearly half a million elderly people in the UK will be alone at Christmas and 800,000 of them are ‘chronically lonely’.
Chronic loneliness is more than being alone. It means that you feel isolated for a long time without the support of others. We can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. We can cause this isolation ourselves due to inhibitions or lack of communication skills. Some are withdrawn due to physical problems. In any case, this loneliness can cause feelings of low self-esteem, depression or stress.
When our family lived in Japan, we made our children and their friends a singing group that visited the nursing home at Christmas. The highlight of the program was that after the performance they mingled with older people, chatted with them and hugged them and gave them a small gift. During our regular visits, some seniors told us that they were looking forward to our visit all year round. It seems that we were one of the few visitors that some of them had.
What can we do to alleviate the loneliness of others or even our own this Christmas? Here are some tips that I found in one article that might be useful to you too:
1. Reach out to the people around you. Maybe you have a neighbor who doesn’t have a family around him, or you know of a friend who would like to invite you if he knew you felt so lonely. Take the first step to being with others by reaching out to them. Give yourself the opportunity to be with other people during this period and be a gift to others.
2. Help those who need it. There are many ways to help people in your community this time of year. Whatever volunteering it is, actively find an activity you enjoy and show up. Give yourself to others and be a good steward of the gifts God has given you. And you might be surprised at what community you will create by helping others.
3. Allow the presence of Jesus to fill your heart. Use this time of less distraction by social activities to get to know your Savior even more. Read his word and look for him to find out what he wants to teach you during this time.
4. Pray for others. If you hear of someone else going through a difficult time, stop by and pray for them right away. And don’t be afraid to ask for a prayer for yourself too.
5. Exit the house if possible. During this period, various Christmas events are held that you can enjoy – caroling, concerts, candlelight services and Christmas light shows. Join these celebrations and worship our Savior.
As Billy Graham said, ‘The most important thing I can tell you is that when we know Christ, we are never alone.’
Mother Teresa’s Christmas
Renzo Allegri, Monsignor Hnilic Quote
Mother Teresa saw in a fragile and defenseless child born in the stable in Bethlehem the state of all humanity; And she saw Jesus in all people anyway. She saw him especially among the poorest of the poor, because those who suffer the most and have nothing are most like a child born in Bethlehem. She saw him in abandoned children because these innocent creatures represented the state of Jesus even more clearly.
I spent many Christmases with Mother Teresa. However, I especially remember one. I was in Calcutta, India. Mother Teresa invited me to dinner on December 24 to celebrate Christmas Day with her and the other nuns. It was modest food, as is usual with missionaries of love, but rich in joy, affection and brotherhood. The atmosphere was so cordial that we almost forgot to eat.
At one point I heard a knock on the door. One of the nuns went to see who it was and came back with a cloth covered with a cloth. ‘Some woman gave it to me and then hurried away,’ she said. When she handed the basket to Mother Teresa, she added: ‘She was probably some kind of donor who wanted to give us some food for Christmas.’
Mother Teresa pulled back the fabric and her eyes lit up. ‘Jesus came,’ she said with a beautiful smile. The other nuns ran to see. A sleeping baby boy was lying in the basket. It was an abandoned child a few days old; The woman who brought him, perhaps his mother, could not take care of him, so she entrusted him to the nuns; It was a common phenomenon in Calcutta. The nuns squealed with joy and clung to the basket, moved by the sight of the sleeping child. Their screams woke him up and he started crying. Mother Teresa picked him up, smiled, but at the same time she had tears in her eyes. ‘Look, now we can say that our Christmas is perfect,’ she said. ‘Jesus has come to us. We must thank God for this wonderful gift.’ She radiated a mighty, protective love that was her great strength.’
