The Cross and Christmas

Learning to hear the harmony between happiness and holiness

12/16/2018

Luke 3:10-18 The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Do you know what makes me happy? Christmas presents make me happy! I bet they make you pretty happy too. This year, though, I am experiencing a whole new happiness because not only am I receiving gifts, but much more because I am also giving gifts. Now, of course, every year I have given gifts to my immediate family and the church staff. But this year I am taking gift giving to a whole new level, and what I’m discovering is that new level is a higher level of happiness, indeed, I feel the joy of Jesus.

For me Christmas started all the way back in November when I began to save all my stipends from baptisms, funerals and weddings.  I had to build up my war chest for the battle of Black Friday. Then, I made a list of everyone I would give a gift to and checked it twice to see who was naughty or nice, for example, Dc. Greg is no longer on my list. I called spouses of staff members to see what they would like so the gift was appropriate. St. Thomas Aquinas taught that “a gift is given in the mode of the recipient.” In other words, it should be what they would like, not necessarily something I would like. And I am trying to purchase as many presents locally as possible. Patronizing our local businesses gives two gifts: to the business owner and to our beloved family and friends.

This year, therefore, Christmas has taken on a curious character for me. I don’t care so much about getting gifts as I am excited about giving gifts; I am no longer seeing this season through the eyes of a child but peering through those of an adult; I am exchanging the natural joy of John for the supernatural joy of Jesus, I am abandoning the attitude of a human being, whose nature knows only to receive, and adopting the attitude of the Divine Being, whose nature only knows to give. In short, when we give gifts at Christmas happiness and holiness become surprisingly one. Usually, if we’re happy we don’t feel very holy (the saints don’t have much fun we think), and if we shoot for holiness, well there goes the happiness. Christmas, however, is that special combination when happiness unites harmoniously with holiness just as Jesus’ human nature joined seamlessly with his divine nature. The rest of the year Christmas and giving will feel like the cross, but on December 25th, the cross and sacrifice feels like Christmas.

In the gospel today, we see more people getting into the spirit of giving gifts rather than caring about receiving them. As the people hear John the Baptist preaching, they start asking, “What should we do? What should we do?” Notice their attitude is not “What are we going to get for Christmas?” but rather “What can I do to give something this Christmas?” John suggests giving extra food and clothing to the poor, that tax collectors not be corrupt and ask only what is allotted, and soldiers should not practice extortion, falsely accuse others and be satisfied with their wages. John is making it crystal clear that to prepare for that first Christmas, for the coming of the One who is pure gift, the people themselves must go from being getters into givers. Those who obeyed John could hear that hidden harmony between happiness and holiness, where giving is more joyous than getting, where the Cross feels like Christmas.

May I share with you three principles that guide my gift-giving not only at Christmas but all year long? First of all, I try to give something that helps someone and does not harm them. I don’t know about you, but I have such a hard time knowing what to do with all the pan-handlers in town, the people holding signs on street corners asking for money. I hesitate to give them cash – even though that would be easy to do – because they may spend it on alcohol or drugs. So, I have decided to give more money in our church poor box or to the St. Anne Society. That way, I know that money will help and not harm. My gift-giving tries to fulfill the Hippocratic Oath doctors take, namely, “Do no harm.”

My second suggestion would be to be careful about the consumerist mentality when we receive and give so many gifts. All the buying is good for business, certainly, but it can also be bad for our spirit. Have you heard about “hoarders”? Those are people who accumulate material things feeling they will find happiness in their hoard of stuff. But a lot of hoarded stuff just suffocates the human spirit. A friend of mine told me his remedy for hoarding: when he receives a new sweater, he gives an old sweater away. If he gets a new pair of shoes, he gives an older pair of shoes away. He has found that hidden harmony between happiness and holiness, giving and getting, where the cross feel likes Christmas.

And finally, remember the best gift is our faith. I am afraid that Christmas can become so commercialized and secularized that religion is drained from our daily routine. We tend to forget the reason for the season is Jesus. We think more about Santa than about the Savior. To counteract that trend, some families have small Advent wreathes on their dining room table, others keep their trees up and lights on for the twelve days of Christmas, and some do not exchange gifts until Epiphany, when the three kings arrive and give their gifts. And you can catch all the after-Christmas sales too! If we forget Christ in Christmas, we stop hearing that harmony between happiness and holiness, giving and getting, and sadly, Christmas may start to feel like the cross.

Just like John told the people how to prepare for the first Christmas, so I want to help you prepare for the 2,018th Christmas. Try to give gifts that (1) do no harm, (2) avoid hoarding, and (3) remember faith should be your first gift. That way, you will enjoy Christmas all year long, even on Good Friday.

Praised be Jesus Christ!