Christmas is the time of year when we immerse ourselves in the task of selecting the right gifts for those whom we love. Yet, as beautiful as it is to follow the tradition of leaving gifts under the Christmas tree, the practice of exchanging gifts is far more personal, because gift- giving is a sign of our love, esteem, and affection for others. Exchanging a gift with someone makes tangible our desire to lift the person up; to grant a loved one or friend not just a beautiful present, but a share of happiness and joy– because the gift represents the love that you and I have in our hearts for the person before us.
On Christmas Day, we celebrate a life-changing gift– the gift of our Savior and the source of our redemption. There is no greater gift than having Christ in the world. In the gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent, Saint John writes, “and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Literally, the evangelist is saying that Jesus pitched His tent in our bruised and troubled world and remains with us in our joys and suffering.
When we kneel before the creche, we come to understand that Christmas is not just celebrated one day of the year. Rather, the presence of Christ in our lives is a gift meant to be exchanged every day. It empowers us to go out in word and action to serve those whom we meet–particularly those who may be poor, lonely, sick, afraid, hopeless, or isolated. The gift we exchange with others is a share of the life Christ has given us, so that we might briefly relieve their loneliness with friendship, their tears with a smile, and their empty hands with our hand placed within theirs, reminding them that they are not alone.
That is the great challenge of Christmas, and I am pleased and humbled to say that many in our diocese and the larger community have answered the challenge. Today and throughout the holiday season of Christmas, Catholic Charities staff members, volunteers, and parishioners are leaving the comfort of their own tables to feed and clothe the poor and reach out to the most vulnerable They know the exchange of presents at Christmas means we must keep on giving; we must keep exchanging Christ’s love until the miracle of Christmas brings us all home to the glory of everlasting life.
Christmas invites us to share Christ’s riches so that we might lift up the poverty of those around us, be an instrument of peace in the world, and try to heal in our own way the brokenness of those whom we meet.
Over the past year, people in our diocese have heard me invite them to focus on “The One,” which refers to the single invitation offered by Christ to every believer to encounter Him more deeply in mind, heart and will, and to be accompanied in our journey of faith. Christmas is the source of that invitation and the reason we can share the most precious gift of all: the light of Christ.
In a world that is torn by violence, and ideological and sectarian strife, Christmas is the invitation to reach across boundaries, to listen to each other’s stories, to understand each other’s trauma and suffering, and to build bridges of hope. While much of what we see and hear in the news and on social media can make us feel powerless, Christmas should help us overcome hopelessness and despair. It is the good news of our salvation, and it is meant to be shared one life at a time, one person at a time, one day at a time.
This Christmas, join with me to pray for peace, for a change of heart, and for an end to all forms of hatred and anger that separate us as brothers and sisters.
Let us hope that out of these darkest days of the year we find the true light and joy of Christmas, and share it with others by our prayers, service and faithful witness. I wish you and your families the merriest Christmas and the blessings of God throughout the New Year.
You can connect with Bishop Caggiano on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also hear from him on his podcast, “Let Me Be Frank” (www.veritascatholic.com/podcast) and on Wednesdays at noon on the Veritas Catholic Network (1350 AM and 103.9 FM).
