Christmas time tends to bring out the best of us. The tale of the old greedy Ebeneezer Scrooge, the eternal work of Charles Dickens, might have started its artistic life as a pungent commentary on the social imbalance that existed in 18th century Victorian England. Over the years, however, it has grown to become a symbol of festive redemption, and how anyone, even a vile old miser can turn their life around - even if just for one Christmas day.
The magic of Christmas, as we are told in endless soppy movies, is capable of anything, and it is perhaps a beautiful parable to aspire to.
However, few things are magical in the real world, and more often than not, anything great or anything worth aspiring for requires the very real work of good humans, who reach far and beyond.
At Christmas time, we are bombarded by all sorts of promotional material, prompting us to aspire to near-impossible goals that have precious little bearing on the true values of the season. We are pressured into festivities and merriment, yet, often, matters are way more complex than portrayed in your average heart-warming advert.
Christmas time tends to be a tough time for people suffering from social injustices, people who lead a lonely life, people who struggle to make ends meet, and people who lack the most basic comforts of an acceptable life.
It's ok not to be ok, we are often reminded at this time - and that is fundamentally true. We cannot expect problems to magically disappear around Christmas, just because it says December on the calendar and there are a few blinking lights up.
That is why, rightly so, the festive season is very fertile ground for fund raisers, aimed at raising awareness and funds in favour of several great causes. The national L-Istrina, together with all other marathon initiatives are laudable events, which bring together thousands of volunteers, who dedicate their time to give back, and help those most in need.
I particularly admire the Caritas lunch for the lonely, on Christmas day, which increasingly attracts more people each year. This initiative is truly a great way of celebrating the real reason for the season, which goes beyond shiny packed gifts and never-ending receptions.
Yet we must remain vigilant, even at Christmas time. We cannot allow these great initiatives to become white-washing exercises to drown away our year-round sins with a donation or two. What is wrong from January through to November, remains wrong while the tree is up too!
Support these great initiatives! Donate if you can, and give your time too if you can afford it. After all, time has become a much more valued commodity than money in many cases.
As this will be my last article before Christmas, I would like to wish you the very best for a merry Christmas. May we all have a great Christmas, in the true spirit it was always meant to be.