In Nativitate Domini - The Best Gift

Depending on your particular disposition, one of the most enjoyable or the least enjoyable parts of Christmas preparation is shopping for gifts. Some people enjoy heading out into the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping centre, and finding that perfect gift for everyone on their list. Others, myself included, tend to view Christmas shopping as a necessary evil, something to do as quickly as possible, and then wondering if everyone is going to like what you bought for them.

Now, that’s not to say that there are not some enjoyable elements, for many years when I was in university, and in seminary, after my exams were over and I was free for much of December, my mother and I used to take a trip to Square One in Mississauga, we would do some shopping for other family members, but we would also take some time just to sit in the food court with our Tim Hortons tea and watch the insanity unfold around us.

Despite what retailers have turned Christmas into over this past century, gift giving has long been part of the Christmas festivities, inspired by the greatest and best gift that has ever been bestowed upon humanity, the gift of God’s only Son as our Saviour and Redeemer.

When God sent His Son to us on that first Christmas night, it was done freely out of love for sinful humanity, a humanity that had rejected God so many times in the past. In that sense it is a gift in the truest sense of the word, since it was not done out of a sense of obligation, nor was it done expecting something in return, nor is it even an exchange between equals, because there is nothing that we can offer to God that comes close to the gift of Jesus Christ.

Of course, that does not prevent us from offering our own gifts in return.

EXPLANATION: St. Ozanna and the Child Jesus

One of the great blessings that God can bestow upon us is to give us a father and mother who love Him and teach us to do the same.

The parents of St. Ozanna loved God with their whole hearts, and they taught their little daughter to do likewise. When she was about six years old, her love for her dear Father in Heaven was so great that nothing could please her that did not speak to her of God and of Heaven..

One day, in her childlike simplicity, she asked God to tell her what she could do for Him that would give Him the greatest pleasure, and a voice said distinctly to her: “My daughter, love Me with your whole heart.”

Her Guardian Angel, on another occasion, led her into Paradise, and showed her the glory God gives to His Saints. When she returned to her senses after this vision, she said: “My own dear Lord, I give myself from this moment to Thee; just do with me whatever is most pleasing to Thee, for I want to live for nothing else.”

Immediately Jesus appeared to her in the form of a lovely little child with a beautiful countenance. On His head was a crown of shar thorns, and on His little shoulders a very heavy cross. He stretched out His arms towards the little girl, and smiled upon her. Then, opening His Divine lips, He said: “Dearest Ozanna, I am Jesus, the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary; if you wish to please Me, you will have to suffer much while you are in this world; but be not afraid, dearest, for I will never forsake you.”

When He had said these words He disappeared, leaving the holy Child filled with Divine love. From that day she made the sufferings of Our Lord the special object of her meditation. The crosses she had to carry were sometimes very heavy, but Jesus had promised never to forsake her, and she is now happy with Him in Heaven.

If you ask Our Lord to tell you what you could do that would give Him the greatest pleasure, He would answer you as He did St. Ozanna: “Love Me with your whole heart.” Make Him, then, the same promise that she made, and say: “My dearest Jesus, I give myself to Thee; I want to live for Thee alone.”

IMPLICATION: Our gift to God

If we wish to offer to God our best Christmas gift, in return for the infinite gift of His Son that he bestowed upon us we can start by doing three simple things.

First, like St. Ozanna, we need to offer our whole lives and our whole selves to Christ. God created us, and Christ paid the price for our sinfulness. In a very real sense we belong wholly to God, but He has given us the freedom to go our own way if we choose. So even though we already belong to God, it does not prevent us from making a gift of ourselves to Him in our wills.

Second, we need to willingly accept the crosses that God sends our way. Accepting our crosses means to accept a participation in the redemptive work of Christ, the whole purpose of His Incarnation. When we do so, we can envision ourselves like St. Simon of Cyrene, seeking in some small way to take some of Christ’s burden upon ourselves, so that He does not have to bear the weight of the Cross alone.

Third, we can follow the words of St. Paul to Titus in the Epistle for the First Mass of Christmas, “denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and justly and godly in this world.” By rejecting everything that is opposed to God, living a sober, just, and godly life, we make the best use of the saving grace that God bestows upon us through Christ. Sometimes the best gift a parent can receive, is to see the joy on their children’s faces when they truly love and enjoy the gifts they have been given.

As we celebrate the Christmas festivities today, and in the days to come, let us not forget to offer our best gifts to God, who in turn gave us His best gift, His Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.