God’s greatest gift
The economic crisis our country is experiencing can provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas rather than on the materialistic spirit that often permeates our Western culture. Since so many persons are unemployed or underemployed and family incomes are shrinking, a lot of people will need to limit the type and number of gifts they give. This might be a blessing in disguise. Maybe people will become more in tune with the reason this time is known as the feast of Christmas rather than the “holiday” season.
Gift-giving is a wonderful tradition, but often we go overboard and tend to measure a person’s love and care by the gifts they give and receive. And some people give gifts out of a feeling of obligation or just because someone gives them one. Many feel embarrassed if a person gives them a gift and they have nothing to give in return.
The sharing of gifts is meant to be a sign of one’s love, and God gave us the greatest gift of all — Jesus. As I heard in a homily at Christmas Mass a number of years ago, Christmas is God’s way of telling us he loves us personally. That sums up the message of Christianity. How utterly profound that is.
Whether we recognize it or not, God’s love touches every human being and the world. Without this divine love nothing would exist. God’s love, whether apparent or not, is the glue that keeps the world together. That is what gives us hope.
Material gifts don’t last forever. Many get lost, broken, lose their usefulness or we get bored with them. On the contrary, God’s love for us never fades. It is everlasting. God is always faithful, even when we are not. God loves us so much that he desires to be with us, morning, noon and night. His care for us is so great that God even became a human being for us. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. Our greatest gift is salvation given by Jesus.
God’s gift is love and the way God chooses to love is through us. We are his instruments of love. God cannot give a hug, but we can.
During this Christmas season we can give the kind of gifts that don’t require a lot of money and won’t overtax our credit cards. Let us give of ourselves rather than giving material things we may not be able to afford. We can work on mending or renewing old relationships. Or we can do that charitable act that we often think about but never seem to carry out. Let us live out our good intentions. We could visit or call people we know are lonely and in need of comfort. We might offer to babysit for a young couple who rarely gets time alone. These little kindnesses often are appreciated more than another necktie or bottle of perfume.
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with giving gifts to others at Christmas as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the reason for this season. And parents, teach your children the true meaning of Christmas. Let them know that your love for them is not measured by what is under the tree.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, browse our “Living the Faith” archive to read some of Sister Margie’s past reflections.