“A Gift or Present is an item given to
someone without the expectation of payment”. Christmas is the day of
Expectation and hope. At the same time Christmas is the season where the
secular world and Catholics exchange their Gift with each other. By giving
these gifts we express our joy and happiness with each other.
For Christian we have various types of
history behind this exchanging gifts during the time of Christmas. One the
well-known history is gifts given by Santa Claus. From the childhood onwards heard and studied
the story that Santa Claus come and give to us gifts. Actually we receive gifts
from our parents or friends saying this is a gift of Santa Claus we receive
through these people. Here I would like to say giving Gifts can be seen in
three different perspective in our human life.
1. Give from what you have.
2. Give whatever you have.
3. Give what you are.
Many of our Gifts during the season of
Christmas or any other time comes in the first and second category. Many at times we like to give gifts from what
we have and whatever we have. For an example if I see a bagger in street I give
him some money out of what I have in my hand. If I have two hundred rupees I
give him hundred or give him all the money which I had in hand. We normally in
human tendency don’t go for third kind of the gift that is give what you are.
In the Epistle of the Philippians we
read: “for the divine was his from the first.” (Phil 1:6) He who is God by the
nature did not snatch at equality with God, but “made himself nothing.” Nothing
mean we can say “He emptied himself.”(Phil 1:7) He took the nature of slave in
his birth and death in order to become the third kind of Gift that is “give
what you are”. “Bearing human likeness, revealed in human shape, he humbled himself
and in obedience accepted even death- death on the cross.” (Phil 1:8) This is the way he emptied himself. This is
the verse I think we can use for Christmas “He emptied himself.”
Christ become emptied himself and
became a gift to us. This this is what Jesus is expecting from us in all the
Christmas. And also let us reflect and see how much money we are spending each
year only in order make happy ourselves and others. These are momentary happiness
which will be forgotten by others and even us. Christ became the ultimate
happiness and joy to us through all the time because of His self-giving Gift. He
did not give to us from what he had or whatever he had but he became a great
gift to us. As we celebrate this year Christmas let us give gift to others not
giving from what we have or whatever we have but give what we are. Let us
celebrate the Christmas with joy and happiness and give us a Gift to others.
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