Every
Christmas Day, I join the Salesian Cooperators and young people in giving joy
to hundreds of children through gift giving. This year has been no exception. More
than 400 children and their families received gift packs of rice, canned goods
and toys. They were also treated with a delightful breakfast thanks to the
generosity of sponsors and benefactors who have been supportive in making this
program a reality annually.
It is inspiring to see both young
and adults come together in a spirit of generosity and service in preparing for
this yearly Share-A-Gift Project. The event involves a series of preparation: packing of bundles of joy, cooking of
breakfast, organizing games and program for the children, the distribution of
the gifts and the clean up at the end. The occasion is a hands-on experience
for young people to reach out in the spirit of sharing. It teaches them
selflessness. It is tiring but we all feel a sense of joy when we see children
bringing home something for Christmas. Children say “thank you ang babait
ninyo!” as they receive their gift pack. The thought that we have made them
smile made me feel good.
On second thought, it should have
been me thanking them. The children have given us more than we have
given them. We have given them only a little bundle of joy. But they have
reminded us that every child is an image of Jesus today. Those poor children
reminded us to find Jesus in them. They moved us to actually see Jesus in them.
Jesus, too, was a poor little baby lying in a manger.
When Jesus was born very few recognized him as the Son
of God. He came in silence and obscurity in a small town of Bethlehem. Though a
long prophetic tradition foretold his birth, only humble shepherds recognized
that he was actually the Promised One. He was revealed only to them.
The sign of a star showed the world
that somebody big had come. The heavens proclaimed it loudest such that the
magi read and understood its meaning. Moved by its outstanding brightness, they
crossed deserts just to pay homage to a newborn King of Israel. The star was
God’s way of leading them to find Jesus, the star of their lives.
Until today, the image of the baby
Jesus in the crib is a powerful reminder that God made himself weak so that we
can find him. He already made himself so available that all we need to do is a
little effort to meet him half-way. God has already come down to our level. As
Pope Francis said: “God is humble. We, who are proud, full of vanity, and who
think ourselves great stuff, we are nothing. He is the great one: he is humble
and he makes himself a child.”
This year has been declared as the
Year of the Eucharist and the Year of the Family. God’s humility is even more evident
in the Eucharist. He further makes himself small. As a baby he was helpless; in
the Eucharist he is hidden. As a baby he was crying for our attention; in the
Eucharist he is calling for our faith. As a baby he craved to be love; in the
Eucharist Jesus challenges us to love him.
The magi were courageous to follow
the star. Every year we are invited to be like the magi to be courageous
journeyers. We have to continually seek the star of our lives in Jesus. He
alone can give us joy and meaning. In finding Him, he makes us experience the
Father’s merciful love.
