The Meaning of Christmas

“Mother Theresa was giving a bag of rice to a woman and her two children; all three were emaciated and looked seriously starving. The young mother gave half the bag to her family, then headed out through the burlap flap which served as their door. When the nun asked her where she was going, she simply replied, ‘The people in the next hut are hungry too!’”
When I read this the other day I was astounded. Would I have done what that mother did? Christmas isn’t about frantic crowds swapping credit cards for shiny-wrapped presents for people to exchange by New Year’s. It’s not about “giving” to Aunt Mame, who has everything she needs, because she always “gives” me something. God didn’t go to all the trouble to arrive in a dirty stable as a squalling infant, fragile, vulnerable, and totally dependent on others, so that we could teach our kids about Santa Claus, raucous parties, or vacations, as much fun as these things are. He came to spread the good news—that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the lonely, heal the sick, we fulfill his specific intentions for us, and we draw nearer to him, the source of all our love. Nothing can eclipse that—it’s the best show in town!
Blessed Christmas EVERY DAY to you all!