'The Spirit of Christmas is here in our new home'

by Indeewara Thilakarathne

For most Sri Lankans and Christians around the world, Christmas is an occasion which is principally occupied by a lot of merry making fun, frolic, mending broken fences with relations and cementing estranged relationships. They usually attend midnight mass while being well-dressed.

On the other hand, we pay little attention to those who are less fortunate, and who spend their evening away from the comfort of their homes for reasons. As the dawn of Christmas rekindles cherished memories of happy moments of one should also spare a little time to ponder on how the inmates homes for the Elders in and around the city of Colombo spends their Christmas.

Although many of them would still love to spend Christmas with family by kith and kin they are not so fortunate, Christmas for them is still a memorable occasion which they spend in their houses.

Situated in a rather unclean environment in Maradana, the home for the Elders run by the St. Mary's Church, the Little Sisters of Poor is perhaps, an ideal Elders Community where Christmas is celebrated in its true spirit. The spacious and well-maintained garden supported by impressive infrastructures including the newly built house which provides a home for 85 inmates, stands tall in total contrast to the dirty environment and dusty T. B. Jayah Mawatha.

"Christmas is the celebration of the coming of our saviour. It is a glorious day. Every year we enjoy the occasion by sharing it with the poor. That's why we celebrate the day in a joyous way. In my case, I am in a Home for the Elders and I enjoy it with other inmates because I am thinking of Our Lord who has come to salvage every one of us. For me, it is a very joyful day." says Bertha , one of the happy inmates of the house.

In the little chapel, a special mass will be held as in all other churches throughout the country. It is obvious from the happy countenances, that the inmates who have been drawn from diverse social and economic background in this community, enjoy a happy community life helping one another in their own way and making new friends albeit they are away from their homes.

In the case of Yvonne de Costa who spends her second year in the home, the Christmas that she spent here is much more meaningful than the previous Christmas that she spent at home.

"The first Christmas I spent here, I felt special. There are people from diverse walks of life. You get the poor and even the religious as well as people belonging to other religions as well.

We forgo worldly pleasures; going out, being at gatherings seems a better way of sharing Christmas and it seems to create a lot of happiness. To reach out to the family and to enjoy the season of Christmas with them is wonderful. When we have to please the Sisters, they make us feel one of the family.

We pray, read the Bible together and even help in cooking. The Sisters provide us with everything and they get us Christmas clothes and gifts.

Each and every one of us gets new clothes. When we walk into the Chapel, all of us really experience the true spirit of Christmas," says Yvonne de Costa who seems to be spending an equally exciting Christmas at her new found home.

[email protected]