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Hoping You Have
a Spiritual Christmas!

By Dr. Peter W. Kujtan, B.Sc., M.D., Ph.D.

Article printed on page 30 in the December 18, 2013 issue of
The Mississauga News under the feature: Health & Beauty, Medicine Matters.
Portrait of Dr. Peter W. Kujtan, supplied 2005
Dr. Peter W. Kujtan

I detest the profit-driven commercialism that dominates this time of the year, and it s because I believe in Santa Claus! I tend to inquisitively stare deep into the eyes of patients, friends and strangers, and wonder if they see him too. He rejuvenates my soul during the shortest, bleakest days of the year.

Take a moment and contemplate what it means to be alive, and what a precious gift that claim truly is. Without challenges and hardships, we could not fully appreciate the joys of achievement and contentment.

In my world, Santa appears every time I see a communal spirit of caring, aid or volunteerism such as the aftermath of the Typhoon in the Philippines. When families and friends rally around an ill or needy person, Santa appears in the calmness that ensues. When I see groups of volunteers rebuilding schools, manning soup kitchens, preparing churches for Christmas celebration, traveling afar to defend our values, it proves that the spirit of Santa is alive and strong. I find myself working this Christmas season, and salute those who sacrifice special family time to keep our community running.

My wish for you is that the first comment of each day be a positive one. One of the most effective medicines that I know is laughter. I have seen it heal deep wounds and restore fractured souls.

You are wonderfully unique. No one will ever know that unless you share your thoughts and ideas. Share your feelings devoid of opinion with loved ones. Don t assume that they just know of your love. Criticism is a plentiful commodity and seemingly free. The hidden price is emotional destruction. Simply avoid it. Whether you are born here or arrived here from another land, learn to appreciate the greatness of what this land has to offer.

One of the greatest gifts that I have witnessed people squander is potential. The ability to persevere, succeed and fail all depends on potential.

Learn to recognize that you are surrounded by family, and it extends into thousands. A true appreciation of this concept goes far beyond genetic linkages and dysfunctions. A friend once defined Christmas dinners as an annual event to revisit and refine family dysfunction. I urge you to travel beyond that anticipation, and look at why this event repeats itself over generations.

You may discover spirits within us attempting to reconnect with primordial bonds that define time itself. People congregate for similar reasons. The bonds that bind us need to be celebrated. Embrace it, revel in it and build on this concept. To discover why you sit breaking communal bread, look beyond the table and not across it. Let people know about the good you see in them. It is they who will make you a better person. Merry Christmas and God bless!


Related resources:

The Real Meaning of Christmas by Martha Noebel, from Christian Broadcasting Network - CBN.com.

The Meaning of Christmas: Look Deeper by Peter Kreeft, Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC).

Christmas - Its Spiritual Meaning by Swami Sivananda.

The Spiritual Origins of Santa Claus blog posted by Sagacious Mama, December 18, 2010.

Is there a Santa Claus? - A physicist view from PhysLink. (Quoted from SPY Magazine, January 1990).

Who Is St. Nicholas? From St. Nicholas Center.

St. Nicholas Around the World from St. Nicholas Center.

Is There a Santa Claus? Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus - Francis Church's Answer from the Editorial Page of the New York Sun, 1897.

Is Santa Real? Here's How to Explain Santa Claus to Your Kids. The short answer is, yes! By Corinne Sullivan and Kate FrankeUpdated, Woman's Day : Oct 30, 2023.

Is There a Santa Claus? Harley Hahn's Answer, 1997.

Santa Claus from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Daddy...is there really a Santa Claus? from About.com.

The Claus That Refreshes from Urban Legends, Snopes.com - It was Coca-Cola's magazine advertisements, billboards, and store displays that exposed nearly everyone in America to the modern Santa Claus image, but Coca-Cola didn't invent him.

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