Christmas gifts
Because this is the season of giving and sharing and with your kind indulgence, let’s stray from the wide world of sports and be on the spiritual side this time.
Most of us, either subtly or obviously, ask or expect gifts from friends and relations during this time of the year. We had been so selfishly consumed with commercialism and materialism that we had almost forgotten what exactly are we celebrating on December 25.
Quting Pope Francis, “Standing before the manger, we understand that the food of life is not material riches but love, not gluttony but charity, not ostentation but simplicity.”
4th century bishop St. John Chrysostom in one of his writings said that like the three wise men who came from Persia to pay homage to our Savior, we should approach Jesus with faith to truly grasp the significance of His lying in a manger.
“His holy table will supply the place of the manger, for there will be spread the body of our Lord, not wrapped in swaddling clothes as then, but on all sides surrounded by the Holy Spirit. Approach then and make offering of thy gifts, not as such as were presented by the Magi, but gifts infinitely more precious.”
The three kings brought gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts to Jesus and Chysostom said that instead of gold, let us give to Jesus temperance and virtue. Instead of frankincense, we offer the prayer of a pure heart and instead of myrrh, we offer humility, meekness and charity. “If thou draw near with these gifts, thou mayest with much confidence partake of the Holy Supper.”
For ordinary mortals like you and me, these are tough acts to follow but St. John Chrisostom encourages us to have pure and virtuous hearts. Jesus don’t need material things and these are what we can offer to Him as our Christmas gifts.
St. Gregory the Great further explained the meaning of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh from the three kings.
Gold means wisdom and it is the first gift of the Holy Spirit which we receive in baptism. Jesus wants us to give Him gold by “shining in His sight with the light of wisdom.”
Frankincense is like the incense used during Masses which symbolizes prayer. St. Gregory said we should offer to Jesus our daily frankincense by the “sweet savor of our prayers”.
Myrrh is a healing and burial ointment. “In myrrh is symbolized mortification of the flesh. We offer myrrh when we offer up the desires of the flesh.”
May we all be worthy of the blesings and graces we’re asking this season and have the compasion to share to those who have less in life because as St. John Paul II said, “The message of the Christmas tree is that life is evergreen if one gives, not so much material things but oneself. In friendship and affection, and fraternal help and forgiveness, in shared time and reciprocal listening.”
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