By Katie Ostgren
Director of Development & Stewardship,
Diocese of Lincoln
As he burst through the door after getting home from school the other day, my 7-year-old was filled with an unusual level of excitement. He was yelling for both my husband and me.
“Mom! Dad! Where are you?” Before we could even say, “Welcome home!” he had thrust a crumpled up paper sack colored with marker directly into our faces.
“I have a gift for you!” he exclaimed. “Open it!”
The teachers at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in Wahoo always have the cutest crafts for their students to create as Christmas gifts for their parents. (In the first grade, it’s Christmas-themed popsicle stick picture frames.) I tried to convince my son that he should put the gift under the tree and we would open it on Christmas Eve – it wasn’t even technically Advent yet, after all. But he insisted that we couldn’t wait that long. He was too eager to share what he’d made for us. I acquiesced and opened the bag. He beamed with joy as my husband and I admired his work and, with genuine smiles on our faces, thanked him for being so generous.
In Matthew 3:18, Jesus tells His disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The childlike generosity my son demonstrated for me in this moment was truly an example to me – it gave me something to strive for.
Sometimes when we give as adults, whether it be in the giving of our time, talent, or treasure, we can forget to do so with a childlike spirit.
Because of our wounds, selfishness, or external cultural factors, we might give out of a sense of obligation, or give with expectation of some kind of return. We might give to advance our own agenda or give just to make ourselves feel good. Certainly, none of these are necessarily “bad” motivations, but perhaps what Jesus wants for us is greater. Perhaps what He truly wants is to unite us more fully to Himself—a little child who came to be one of us at Christmas.
Jesus is pure gift, and He calls us to give as He does —expecting nothing, fully for the other, with great joy. As Christmas nears and we prepare to receive Him again and in a new way, may we also be fully united to Him so that we mimic His giving—not just during the Christmas season, but every day of our lives. May the gifts we give this year, whether they be quality time spent with loved ones, presents for friends and family, financial support of our parishes and other worthy causes, or hosting and celebrating around the table with the best homemade dishes, be given in the same way Christ gives himself to us—with the simple heart of a child who just can’t wait to give of Himself for the ones He loves.
Each Advent, I like to read an old book called “Love Does Such Things” by Rev. M. Raymond. To close, I’d offer this reflection from that book and wish you a blessed Advent and joyous Christmas season: “At Christmas, every normal person feels bigger, better, and more himself or herself. You dimly realize that you are more in love with God and much more in love with your fellow humans – at least for a few days.
Actually, you have an expansion of heart and mind and emotions. You ARE a bigger and better person, because…at Christmastide, you are more nearly your true self. God not only made you great; He made you to be great and to do great things for Him and your fellow man. God, being God, could not do otherwise. But men make themselves, and try to make all other men, small. God wants you to share in His infinity; to live as He lives and love as He loves. That is the ultimate meaning of Christmas – and may it alert you to the fact that your destiny, your being’s heart and home is with infinity – and only there!”
