The Gift of Christmas

Nov 29, 2007

Just as the Magi came bearing gifts of love for Our Lord, Jesus, and came in adoration of Him we too are called to come to Him in a similar way.  Our gifts of love offered to Him in love should be our lives, our hearts and our souls. This offering should be one of complete submission to His will asking only that He does with us as He desires. In doing so realizing that the Holy Child of Bethlehem, The Son of God, will bring our lives to shine brightly in Him so that we can be the new star that leads all to Him. Knowing that by His Divine grace our hearts will become the hearts of love they were created to be. Hearts that will show the tender love of The Lord to all we meet.  Being aware also that in the giving of our souls to Him that The Spirit of Divine Love, that The Son of God gifted His followers with, will fill our souls and set fire to them with a deeper love of God and of fellow man.

Today most look to Christmas as a time to give gifts to family and friends but forget to give gifts to The One who is the reason for Christmas. It is essential that we as Catholics return to the true meaning of Christmas which is more than ensuring the holiday is not changed or that the media and stores do not deny Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is that in love of man, God came to Earth for all people, so that all can find eternal life and joy in Him. 

We as followers of Christ must then try to do the same with the offering of ourselves to God. We should be going out reminding people of the love God has for all by living as God calls us to, living as examples of love that turns away from no one, that rejects no one and that condemns no one.

This Christmas is a time where Christians can show more than self to the world, it is a time where they can show The Child Jesus to all by taking the focus from worldly things and bringing it on to heavenly things.

While it is important for families and friends to get together over this blessed time it is essential they remember why they are together and bring the Child Jesus into their celebrations making Him the centre of their celebrations. Thinking also of how all of mankind are family and how we should be friends to all reaching out to everyone in love. With a helping hand where needed, with loving words for all and with an open heart radiating the love of Christ that is unafraid to express that love to all.

Let this sacred time lead us to sacred lives and away from the materialism the world draws us into. Instead of looking to the material looking to the spiritual and mystical contained within this Divine gift we celebrate at Christmas. Each one of us who professes to love God and to live to His Son’s Jesus’ way, should turn to God and ask Him to help us see beyond the physical and the temporal. So that we can see with eyes of faith the full gift given in the birth of Our Saviour. The gift that is eternal, heavenly and that is for all.

Let us look to Mary and see in her how she lived a holy life by giving herself completely to God. Then just as Mary, The Mother of God, cradled and nurtured the Divine Child in her love try our best to go out to all the children of God and cradle them in our hearts, with love reaching out gently to nurture the true faith in the lives of others. Just as Mary and Joseph were filled with Joy as their family was made complete with the birth of The Lord, let us be joyful as we try to make the lives of all the family of man complete in The Lord, Jesus, too.

My hope is that all who say, ‘Merry Christmas’, ask the Holy Spirit to make the Christ in Christmas touch the souls of all who hear the joyful words they speak and in the loving actions they do.

May your Christmas be truly holy and filled with many blessings and graces for you and all you meet.

Alan Ames