Giving the Perfect Gift

A friend posted this on Facebook: “Some families do not need to exchange gifts for Christmas. What they need to do is - they need to: settle old disputes, make peace, forgive one another, seek unity, and healing. That is the real gift.”

Another one: “Do not be angry if you do not receive any gift on Christmas. It is not your birthday anyway. It is the Lord’s birthday.” So, what is your gift to Jesus?

One thing that is always associated with the celebration of Christmas everywhere … even among non-believers - is giving.

For Christians, we celebrate at Christmas the mystery that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16)…God loves us so much and we cannot even begin to grasp how much God loves us.

Yes, we find joys in family gathering and the giving of gifts at Christmas, but above all the joys of family gathering and giving is the joy that comes from knowing that God gave us His only Son not to condemn us but to bring us eternal life (John 3:16)…. to show us what life is all about.

… Jesus said: “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly…”

God gave His only Son for us to share in His Divine Life… to make us more than mere human beings – to make us sons and daughters of God… that is our peace, our joy, our reason for our hope…. That is Christmas 

That is why we should have been and should continue to make time to quiet ourselves during this busy season and ponder that in our hearts like Mary pondered her experience of Christ in her heart.

As children of God, as God gives, so the people of God give, and that is Christmas.

If Christmas is the feast of giving, then the question of what to give and how to give become very important 

Today's Gospel reading helps us to answer some of these questions.

In today's Gospel we read the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth. What gift did Mary bring to Elizabeth? Mary gave Elizabeth the gift of her very presence. And that is the best and the hardest gift of all... which cannot be calculated in terms of money.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the King of kings, the God of the universe coming to our world to share with us our poverty, our misery, our pain. He comes to live with us…. Emmanuel… meaning - God is with us… God is not out there in outer space. God comes to share our human condition. His very presence is the gift… the greatest gift of all. God did not just give us something; God gave us Himself, His very self.

The Eucharist is a constant reminder for us that God is always with us.

It is convenient and easy to send Christmas cards or e-mail or text Christmas greetings… it is easy to give money, it is easy to send a parcel, but to give the gift of ourselves, to make the time to be with somebody, that is the gift that many people long for but do not receive at Christmas.

Another point about giving we can make out of Mary's visit to Elizabeth is that one should give not according to one's convenience but according to the needs of the person receiving. It was not convenient for Mary to travel from Galilee to the hills of Judea…. about 80 to 100 miles requiring four or five days …But as soon as she learned that Elizabeth was six months pregnant, that she needed help, she went in haste and stayed with her for about three months, meaning, until she gave birth. Mary gave to Elizabeth what she needed when she needed it. That is a perfect gift.

The Christmas concept of giving does not need to be anything that we buy…. we do not necessarily have to buy anything… It could be the kind of gift that Mary gave Elizabeth – ourselves – giving ourselves to each other and to God.

In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 3, there is this beautiful story about Peter and John. They were in the temple for the hour of prayer. At the gate of the temple sit a crippled beggar who asked them for money.  Peter answered: “I do not possess any silver or gold, but I will give you what I have (meaning – his faith in Jesus Christ) …. What was striking was: “I will give you what I have.” That makes sense – just giving what you have.

One thing for certain – you cannot give what you do not have… although nowadays, people spend money they do not have, they use their credit cards so they can give Christmas presents… but I am not going to get into that.

There are a lot of things we would like to give or wish we could give – healing to the sick, and sight to the blind; jobs to the unemployed, homes to the homeless, peace in war-torn countries … Many things we would like to give but we cannot… either because we do not have them or they are not within our power or they are not ours to give.

But still - we still have the joyous privilege of giving. We can give what we have. This is something we all can afford…. How about giving some gladness this Christmas? … as simple as not being stingy with your smile… If you meet someone who seems to have lost his or her smile – smile at him or her...

Do not be a miser or a scrooge with your praise. Do not be too cranky to play with your children. Give something of spiritual value this year. Give someone even a little bit of gladness.

Sadly, Christmas is a painful time for many people. Some would skip it if they could because Christmas reminds them of those who are not present with them this time - - because of war, because of illness, because of separation. For some, this will be the first Christmas without their loved one who has died.

We cannot even begin to imagine the pain they will bear on Christmas, the first time their loved ones will not be with them.

A priest, at the end of his homily during a funeral mass - after trying to say as much comforting and faith-filled words as possible – said: “I wish I have some good news for you that will take away the pain but the only Good News I have for you is Jesus’ resurrection…. and that your loved one now shares in His resurrection…. That is a perfect gift…

And so – let us keep in mind that for some people, the sentiments of the holiday trigger emotions people would prefer to avoid.

So, in our Christmas celebration, let us be considerate and be generous to those to whom life has not been so kind, to those who cannot find in themselves any reason to celebrate and be happy and to those who have no knowledge of the good news of the love of God in Jesus Christ… Who is the reason for the season, the source of peace, hope and joy.

And so - When we visit people this Christmas, let us try to bring some inspiration into their lives, let us seek to bring them closer to God, and let us try to share with them the Spirit of God in us, the Spirit of consolation, of courage, of hope, of peace and joy, just as Mary did….

…But of course, again, like material things, we cannot give what we do not have… We must first have the peace, the joy, the Spirit of Christ in us to be able to share it… to be able to bring Christ to others.

Of course, all of those things entail giving of one’s self, and that is the biggest and the best and the most difficult thing to give.

Listen again to Peter’s words: “I will give what I have.” Why don’t we try that this year? We all have so much to give that someone needs. Christmas is such a grand opportunity to rediscover the real joy of giving.

Christmas reminds us of how life ought to be all year round.

Wishing everyone the graces of Blessed Christmas everyday of your life!!!!

God bless…