A CHRISTIAN CHRISTMAS
The catechists of an Indian parish
decided to stage a religious skit by the children on a Christmas Eve. A
talented teacher prepared the script. The teachers selected the most suitable students
of the Sunday-school to play each role and had several rehearsals before the
final play. The stage was set for the skit and all the parishioners assembled in the parish-hall to
witness the play. The actors put on suitable dress and make-up and the curtain
was raised to display the first scene.
A girl dressed as pregnant Mary moved
slowly, supported by a boy dressed as Joseph. They knocked at the door of an
inn several times and the door opened. The innkeeper appeared and Joseph begged for a room . The furious innkeeper
replied that the inn was full and angrily asked them to go away. Then he went
in and slammed the door. Poor Joseph consoled Mary and they turned to try their
luck elsewhere. The scenes were very touching and everyone appreciated the
performance of the little children.
Suddenly and quite unexpectedly the door
opened and the innkeeper rushed out of the door. He burst into tears and
embracing Joseph, declared aloud, "I am sorry, I am sorry, please do not
go away. If there is no place here, please come to my home. You can use my
room. Please do not go away!"
The innocent words of the
child moved everyone to tears. The director of the skit was terribly upset seeing
the shift of the skit from the planned
script. But there was a loud applause from the audience and the skit was
declared as a grand success by everyone. The innocent infant who played the
role of the cruel innkeeper could not bear his pain when he had to drive Joseph
and Mary out of the inn. For a moment he forgot about the play and rushed to
receive them wholeheartedly. That is the beauty of the innocence of infancy.
That is the true spirit of Christianity as Christ intended it to be.
The disciples came to Jesus, asking, "Who
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a child, made him
stand in front of them and said, "I assure you that unless you change and
become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" {Matthew
18: 1-3}.
.........................................................................................................
© By: Dr. Babu Philip,
Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue,
Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu,
Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo.
S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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