FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD C
THE GIFT THAT CAN’T BE BOUGHT
MT. 2: 1-12
I admire this lifestyle movement called “minimalism.” Before Christmas, I read one post from a proponent that said: “As you grow older, the Christmas list grows shorter. What you really want cannot be bought.” And that means, real gift is not in material things.
As we are in the Christmas season, we think of giving and receiving gifts. Some are happier to give than to receive. While others give in order that they too, might receive. At times, it hurts when after giving a lot, one does not receive anything in return.
It is true that, as the Gospel says, the Magi came with gifts, costly and prophetic gifts, for the Christ Child. But I think these were mere symbols of a more important gift each of them offered. The fact that they left behind their homes to follow a strange star, journeyed through vast expanse of land, and got entangled with the lunatic Herod. All these troubles signified that their gift was in fact, their very hearts.
However it is not true that the Magi started us on the practice of gift-giving. The word epiphany, manifestation, says it all. God started the process of laying out gifts. His gift was the revelation of his love in this tiny Baby who will be the world’s salvation. His gift was making human history a history of holiness because now his divinity has not only touched, but has started to dwell among men and women.
In Jesus, eternal life entered into daily life, and so our daily lives are a key to sharing in the joy and peace of God himself.
My cousins planned a different family reunion this year. Instead of the usual get-together over food, stories, and merriment, they envisioned the family as reaching out and touching the lives of the poor neighbors. At Christmas time, they gathered a hundred children from poor families to feed them, serve them, perform for them, and send them off with special gifts they can enjoy and share.
When we still view Christmas as a time to pamper ourselves (though this is not wrong in itself) only or to get what we desire or to add to our collection of material things, then our perspective is not yet mature. But when we begin to appreciate this season as an imitation of God’s generosity, of Jesus’ self-giving, then we have received the same gift the Magi received from the Lord. We find true joy and peace in knowing that we are instruments of God in making our small patch of earth a little experience of heaven.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
