Ramakrishna order and Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve has been celebrated in several centres of the Ramakrishna Order for more than 100 years. At the Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi the picture of child Christ on the lap of Mother Mary is beautifully decorated in the prayer hall of the main temple and cakes, sweets, etc are offered after the evening vesper in the shrine. This is followed by brief discourses by one of the monks, the Archbishop of Delhi and a couple of other Christian fathers. Around 500 people attend the celebrations on 24th December. The origin of these celebrations can be traced to Sri Ramakrishna himself. He practiced spiritual disciplines according to different faiths and based on his experiences came to the conclusion that all the paths ultimately lead to the same goal. That is why he proclaimed, “As many faiths, so many paths” i.e. Yato Mat Tato Path. He had an extraordinary vision of Christ during his Sadhana of Christianity and was profoundly influenced. After his Mahasamadhi in the year 1886, Narendranath and a few other monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna gathered at Antpur, a village in rural Bengal, at the house of one of the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna. One evening these youngsters lit up a fire similar to the Dhuni (sacred fire lit by monks in Northern India) and sat around it in meditation. After they had meditated for quite some time, Narendranath talked glowingly about the life of sacrifice and service of Jesus Christ. He exhorted his brother disciples to lead a life of intense renunciation .They spent the whole night thus in prayer and meditation. Next morning they came to know that the previous evening was Christmas Eve. More than 2000 years ago that night was born Jesus Christ. Thus the spiritual tradition of the Ramakrishna Order is replete with many such spiritual experiences which have led to the celebration of Christmas Eve.