Christmas is a time to remember our purpose

Terry Reis Kennedy, December 20

According to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, "It is wrong to believe that Jesus belongs only to the Christians and that Christmas is a Holy festival for the West only.  To accept one of them as one's own and discard the rest as belonging to others, is a sign of pettiness.  Christ, Rama, Krishna-they are for all men everywhere."

Though Christmas lights sparkle on all continents and gifts are exchanged , how many hearts are full of joy at this time of the year?  How many of us really emulate the actions of Lord Jesus?

"Jesus was a master born for a purpose, the mission of restoring love, charity and compassion in the heart of man," says Sai Baba.  Our hearts forget though.  So Christmas can be a time to remember the purpose of existence, our own mission as children of God.

Puttaparthi Sai explains, "Jesus had no attachment to the self; he never paid heed to sorrow or to pain, joy or gain; he had a heart that responded to the call of anguish, the cry of peace and brotherhood.  He went about the land preaching the lesson of love, and poured out his life as a libation in the sacrifice to humanity.”

And, in the words of the Poorna Avatar, Christmas is a time to remember that we are a world family, "All faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the principles they teach, and the disciplines they recommend.  The Vedic Religion was the first in time; Buddhism which appeared about 2,500 years ago was its son; Christianity, which was influenced by the Orient, was its grandson.  And Islam, which has the Prophets of Christianity as its base was like the great-grandson.  All have Love as the fundamental discipline of the mind, in order to chasten it and merge man with the Divine."
During the holy season  commemorating Christ's birth, it is good to reflect on how the Master, born in  such a humble setting as an animal stable, came to be known throughout the world. 

Sai Baba reminds us of how this came to pass "Jesus wandered purposefully in lonely places for twelve long years, engaging himself in study, spiritual exercises and meditation on God.

"Have Jesus as your ideal as he exhorted all to observe the basically valid teachings of the ancient scriptures and derive peace and joy there from."