By Melbert Mendoza

The author is a seafarer. Here he describes how he and his companions celebrated Christmas last year in Aberdeen, Scotland. His ship supplies ‘fuel, fresh water and delivers cargo to oil rigs in the North Sea’.

Aberdeen City Center and Harbor [Wikipedia]

Spending Christmas at home is one of the best feelings that we are blessed to experience throughout our Christian life.Yet I’m quite ‘jealous’ of Christmas because I feel as if it has taken away one of the most memorable days of my life: my birthday which it falls on December 24!  I even reached that point when I thought that my existence was no longer important because my family was more focused on celebrating Christmas and not my birthday. However, I would also feel guilty with my thoughts. I knew I should be grateful knowing that I almost had the same birth date as our Savior Jesus Christ.  I was thankful because my family would still manage to prepare something for me and that really touched my heart.

That’s why at home, every single memory is worth remembering, especially the beauty of celebrating Christmas with our family. It doesn’t have to be grand as long as there is enough food and as long as you love, understand and respect each other. That is already awesome. Christmas is a time where families come together to celebrate our Savior’s birth, a time when families share their warm hugs and kisses, a time where families are again physically, emotionally and spiritually reunited as one.

If I had only known that at the time, things would have been different as I grew older, I could have cherished the celebration more. Seafarers like us cannot be with our families physically as much as we want to be.

A typical offshore oil/gas platform or  ‘oil rig’[Wikipedia]

Last year I celebrated Christmas with my companions on board. During the feast all of the crew gathered together to give thanks to God for all the blessings He had showered upon us and for giving us strength each day.

The Child Jesus

Aside from that I was surprised and deeply moved when one of the officers gave us a miniature image of Sto Niño. He brought it all the way from his province. It’s really overwhelming to know that you are remembered. That day I realized that Christmas is not just about eating good food, drinking beer or expensive alcohol beverages, or having fancy materials. It is about growing, learning and experiencing God’s love and being able to share it with other people. It is releasing yourself from so many worries or things that you have done wrong. Yes, it is about forgivingyourself and forgiving others too. It is about freeing yourself from all of the negativities that surrounds you. It is also about clearing your path, embracing yourself and accepting your own flaws and trying to reinvent yourself to be better each time.

Our Longing for the People we Love

Onboard the ship we consider everyone as our family. That’s why during Christmas we intensify our sense of camaraderie through singing with a karaoke, cracking jokes and taking pictures, making silly faces in some of them.In such ways we can lessen our longing for our loved ones. We are continually building a strong foundation of brotherhood as well as we learn to understand and adapt to each other’s attitudes and differences.

Indeed the season made our faith in God even more firm and stronger. It made us rely on Him in whatever circumstances we may face. Knowing that we have Him, our confidence is boosted every time we sail, for we know that through His guidance, we will be safe and sound.

Christmas is definitely a reminder for us to keep our faith and hope alive, in whatever we do, wherever we are or in whatever struggles we may be having. It is that strong spirit that helps us feel loved and at home despite being away from home. It is about putting God on top of everything, surrendering our hearts and giving all of our trust to Him because through Him nothing is impossible.

Two Christmas Songs and One Poem of the Sea

Christmas at Sea
By the Goombay Dance Band

This song by the Goombay Dance Band, a German group, captures something of the experience of Melbert Mendoza and his companions.
Editor’s note: The lyrics are available on many websites but no author/composer is named in any that I opened.

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This is Radio Pacific calling M.S. San Doria -Radio Pacific calling M.S. San Doria -Are you receiving me, San Doria? -You'll be in our hearts tonight. And we wish the entire crew a very Merry Christmas.
Christmas at sea - far away from home.
No families and no heavenly snow.
Christmas at sea - visions of home
Sailing tonight all alone.
Black isthe night on the ocean
Candlelight shines on the sea
Everyone's full with emotion -
At homethat's where they long to be.
Mama is reading your letter
Jingle-bells ring all night long.
White are the trees and the meadows -
Children are singing a song.
Christmas at sea - far away from home.
No families and no heavenly snow.
Christmas at sea - visions of home
Sailing tonight all alone.

Midnight is near and we're praying
Everyone fights back his tears.
Lord, bring them home, someone's saying,
And keep them safe while they are here.

This is M.S. San Doria calling Radio Pacific -M.S. San Doria calling Radio Pacific -The whole crew sends it's Christmas wishes. And we're looking forward to seeing you all again soon - Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas at sea - far away from home.
No families and no heavenly snow.
Christmas at sea - visions of home
Sailing tonight all alone.

Christmas at Sea

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Actor/musician Alan Doyle from Newfoundland, Canada, recites a wonderful poem from the days of sailing ships by the author of Treasure Island.

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand;
The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand;
The wind was a nor’-wester, blowing squally off the sea;
And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee.
They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day;
But ’twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay.
We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops’l, and stood by to go about.
All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North;
All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth;
All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tacked from head to head.
We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared;
But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard.
So’s we saw the cliff and houses and the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye.
The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam;
The good red fires were burning bright in every longshore home;
The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out;
And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about.
The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer;
For it’s just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was blessèd Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard’s was the house where I was born.
O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
My mother’s silver spectacles, my father’s silver hair;
And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves.
And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea;
And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessèd Christmas Day.
They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall.
“All hands to loose topgallant sails,” I heard the captain call.
“By the Lord, she’ll never stand it,” our first mate, Jackson, cried.
. . . .”It’s the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson,” he replied.
She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood;
As the winter’s day was ending, in the entry of the night,
We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light.
And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea;
But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old.

I Saw Three Ships

A traditional Christmas carol from England, sung here by Orla Fallon with an Irish flavor. The verses [in square brackets and italics] are not sung in this version.
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.

[And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day in the morning.]

Pray, whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Pray, whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

[And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.]

And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.