“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Christmas is a time when there is magic in the air. The colourful serial lights twinkle, making everything sparkle. They make even inanimate objects appear as if they were alive, winking at us. As a kid, one of my favourite Christmas rituals was setting up the manger or crib. Every year, the cardboard box which housed the clay figurines were brought down from the loft. Each piece was carefully taken out from tufts of straw and unwrapped. They were handled with much love and care and set on a small corner table.  There was no doubt about which one was placed first – it was always ‘Baby Jesus’ who took center – stage. After laying this figurine down on some hay, out came ‘Mary’ in blue and ‘Joseph’ holding a staff; they were then placed next to the Baby. The ‘three wise men,’ in bright colourful robes were kept on one side, and the ‘Shepherds,’ on the other. A few sheep were scattered here and there. What a sense of satisfaction and joy we experienced once it was done! It seemed as if the characters had come to life.