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The Gift of Christmas [January 8, 2007] It is December's first evening. Colorful lights and decorations already illuminate and adorn windows, doors, and streets. Snow has fallen. Shrubs and trees bow under the weight of the shimmering whiteness. Icicles glisten in the night lights, appearing at times like flickering candles, while tracks in the snow appear and disappear with the whims of the wind. Occasionally, the smell of wood smoke drifts through the cold, crisp air. Above, the stars are brilliant. The Christmas Season—a time of Joy and Celebration, a time of Charity and Compassion—is here. Listening to Sharagans softly playing in the background, I place the final ornament, a silver star, on top of our Christmas tree, bright and full with a rainbow of lights, tinsel, silvery garlands, and ornaments, both handmade and store bought. As I stand back to look at the tree and the nativity scene beneath it, I think of the many Christmases my family and I have celebrated around this symbol of Love, Sharing, and Giving. A passage from Kahlil Gibran's book The Prophet comes to mind: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” I am reminded of the Armenian Sisters of The Immaculate Conception, especially those in the remote village of Heshtia in Javakhk, Georgia, and the letter we received from them a few days earlier describing the work they continue to do in that region. Sister Dalita, who is from Syria, wrote: “…The other Sisters (Sister Hageent, who is from Lebanon, and Sister Datevik, who is from Javakhk) and I wanted to let you know that we are well and as usual busy with our work tending to the needs of our people. For two months this past summer we held classes for the village children. We taught Armenian history, since this subject is not taught in schools here, sewing, needlework, haircutting, and computers. “Imagine, during computer class we had sixty students and one computer! That computer was sent to us by Sister Arousiag (Superior of the Our Lady of Armenia Convent and Center/Orphanage in Gyumri). Because these children had never seen real computers before, they had only heard of them, though some had seen computers on television, you should have seen their excitement when they saw one for the first time, especially when they first touched the keys! Despite the lack of computers, the students were able to gain basic computer knowledge. At the conclusion of our summer program, both students and parents were extremely happy with the classes that had been offered and the things learned… Yours, In a phone conversation with Sister Hageent, she had said, “…I've just returned to Heshtia and cannot believe how life here has deteriorated since I left three years ago to serve the Armenian community in Lebanon. (Prior to her departure, Sister Hageent had worked in the village of Heshtia for ten years.) I am stunned by how even poorer the people have become, how even more difficult the living conditions are in this region…There really is no work here, and the salaries of Armenian teachers are extremely low, while those of the Georgian teachers, whose numbers are increasing, are good by comparison…The Armenian population has decreased even more since I left, moral is much lower, and hopelessness is even greater now… The good news, though, is that two new young priests have been sent to our village, one from overseas and the other from Akhlkalak. Together, we are working to help our people in any way we can. Just yesterday, Sisters Dalita, Datevik, and I, along with the two priests, had a meeting and planned ways to at least boost the moral of the people a little. We decided that the first thing we would do is bring some Christmas cheer to the children in this region, so we are now preparing small gifts to distribute to them…” As I turn off the lights, I can still see the tinsel, garlands, and star glimmer on the Christmas tree, and I think of the Sisters—those heroic and selfless women, serving not only God, but the Armenian people. From cities to towns to remote and primitive villages they go, fulfilling spiritual needs, teaching, nurturing, comforting, caring for the sick, the abandoned, the needy, and the orphaned—Giving of Themselves. Soon, the Christmas and New Year's celebrations and festivities will begin. Of the birth of the Christ Child, Krikor Naregatsi wrote, “…Eternal glory to Him, newly born savior, the king. And to the One who adorns Him.” And of the New Year, Missak Medzarents wrote , “Give me, my God, that kind of happiness that has no self. Let me gather it like flowers in other people's eyes…Give me an impersonal joy to share like the stars…Let me gather it from the souls of common and uncommon man, and give it back.” Knarik O. Meneshian |
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