CHRISTMAS IS COMING

ByMarie-Pascale de Drouas

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

At Christmas time, cities are usually filled with colors, lights and Christmas Carols. We buy presents, start thinking about the menus for the various meals… Who’s coming this year? How many we will be?

Christmas: we often forget the true meaning of this beautiful feast which invites us to open our hearts to the true Light: the Light that can illuminate and transform us if it is born within us, the Light of good which overcomes evil, of love which overcomes hatred, of life which defeats death.

Christmas 2020 will be different: children and grandchildren will not be coming home this year and we will just have to meet via Skype. Those we can meet will be with a mask and at a distance: we will not be able to kiss our loved ones. This is the reality of this difficult time, full of uncertainty and pain.

In Italy as in certain other countries, it is even forbidden to celebrate Midnight Mass…

Amasc continues to live, even if it is in a different way.

At the local level, it is impossible to meet, and the visits of the World President are suspended, but fortunately…. new models of communication are helping us.

Until a few months ago, ‘zoom’ was only used in photography…

But we learn quickly and our Administrative Office meetings are also via zoom as will be the mid-mandate meeting in March.

The solidarity specific to the Christmas time reminds us of the Bougoudang project, a beautiful project common to our various national associations whose progress you can follow through our website.

Alicia, assisted by Marie-Pascale, gathers information from all countries for the Newsletter which is published in the three official languages of AMASC on the website twice a year. I recommend that you all contribute: it is really a very important way to stay united and to know each other better.

Unfortunately, the organization of the World Congress is not possible at the time: hotels closed, flights cancelled, and we are faced with the big question mark: when is all this going to end?

I have so much hope in this vaccine which should allow us to return to a normal life, so that we can meet again, make plan, meditate, pray, laugh all together!

I embrace you all with great affection: write to me, tell me about your countries, your lives, your Associations. It will be a way to strengthen the bond that unites us!

May despite everything the Joy of the birth of Jesus live in your hearts throughout 2021!

Paola del Prete del Vaglio

AMASC President

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