Christmas message from Reverend Anne Gilbert

Christmas message from Reverend Anne Gilbert, Vicar of Rochdale Parish Churches:
St Chad’s, St Mary in the Baum, St Edmund’s, St Luke’s Deeplish and St Peter’s Newbold.

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For many years I have been fascinated by Christmas and Christmas traditions, their origins, and why they have appeared. Not just here but across the world and I am particularly interested in who their gift giver is and the story that is attached.

You will of course know that here in the UK children everywhere are waiting for a visit from Santa Claus. Do you know the origin? The visit of Santa goes back to Dutch traditions where St Nicholas arrives in Amsterdam harbour on St Nicholas day… the 6 of December to leave gifts in clogs which children have left out.

The original St Nicholas was a Bishop from Myra which is in modern-day Turkey - St Nicholas Island is near Fethiye. The legend was that the bishop saved three young girls from slavery by anonymously leaving money which would act as a dowry, and so allow them to get married, in their stockings as they were hanging by the fire.

You may be wondering how St Nicholas became Santa Claus… well when the Dutch settlers moved to America they took their tradition with them, the Dutch for St Nicholas is Sinter Klass, and as others saw these traditions and asked about them so they could share in them, so Sinter Klass became Santa Claus… the outfit came later… as Sinter Klass arrives in Amsterdam he is dressed as a bishop, and it was the poem the night before Christmas that first described the outfit we imagine him in now.

Elsewhere in Europe givers are different - it is St Lucy in Sweden, the Christkindl in Germany, Babushka in Russia, Pere Noel in France, and La Befana in Italy.

The Mayor’s Consort, Councillor Rachel Massey, read the story of La Befana for us at the Civic Carol Service. It is based on a legend where La Befana was visited by three wise men who stopped at La Befana’s house to ask for the road to Bethlehem. They asked her to accompany them to visit the child who was to be a great king but she refused. She stayed at home to finish the cleaning and promised that she would catch up with them.

They had gone too far away when she finished her chores. She began running after them with the presents for the baby Jesus, still carrying the broom in her hand. Somehow, she began to fly on her broomstick but couldn’t find the wise men. Now she goes out every year and gives gifts to children in the hope that one day she will give a gift to the Christ child.

What a lot of these traditions have in common are helping those in need and giving gifts to others as our Gift to God.

Sometimes, like La Befana, we miss the point as we are so consumed by our own busyness that we miss our opportunity. It has to be said that I cannot be accused of spending too much time cleaning, but I do fill my diary and this can mean I don’t always have enough time for my family and friends. It does mean that sometimes I don’t see what is right in front of me because my mind is elsewhere. I need to be more mindful and notice those about me.

La Befana then spent her life trying to make up for that in giving to children, trying to make up for the chance she lost. For Christians, that is what Christmas is about. We cannot, as the Kings did, give gifts to the baby Jesus but, like Befana, we can give gifts to others, especially those in need.

Jesus taught us that anything we do to help others we do to help him. Matthew 25.40 ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ And so as Christians we should do what we can to help and to give to others. Not just at Christmas time, however, at a time when the adverts are all about receiving, and what we can eat, drink and receive as gifts, it is also important to consider what we can do to help those in need throughout the year.

As an RE teacher, I learnt a lot about my faith through learning about the faith of others. One of the things that struck a chord with me I learnt from Islam, where at each life celebration and festival as well as celebrating they also give to the poor.

This made me reflect on my faith and think that I should do the same. Jesus was born in poverty, his first experiences in life were relying on the hospitality of others, both when his mother Mary had nowhere to stay for his birth and also as a refugee in Egypt in his early childhood.

It is important then, at the time we celebrate his birth, to do what we can to help those who are in poverty now.

So, this Christmas season, we should do what we can to help those in need, be like La Befana and give to others as our gift to Christ.

I know that in Rochdale we don’t all share the same faith, but we all live in the community of Rochdale and, in this time of celebration and excess, we can think about how we can offer a gift to others, perhaps by donating to the foodbank, supporting your favourite charity through giving money or volunteering your time.

Whatever it is, this year, we should remember La Befana. If we focus too much on ourselves and our busyness, then we may miss our opportunity. We should be present now and do what we can to spend time with those we love, help others, and serve our community, knowing that if we do so then we are giving to God, and for those of you who don’t believe we are simply making Rochdale a better place.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a joyful new year.

Revd Anne Gilbert