YOU HAVE THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT ALREADY

Merry Christmas dear friends, may the true essence of this season never be lost on us and may it bring us multiple graces that fit all our desires. Amen.

Talking about desires, permit me to get very personal with my point of view this morning (it’s not like I know any other way). We have discussed what Christmas should mean in truth, today I would like to go one better and explain why I think family is the greatest gift of all.

Last night in church, the first chapter of the gospel of Mathew (you should try reading it even if you are not a Christian) sent me a very important message – which is that God values family a lot. The genealogy of Jesus Christ was pre-arranged as early as 42 generations before he was born.

Imagine how cool it would have been if Jesus had just rappelled down from heaven on a chain made of glorious essence and with a blinding light that makes the world stand still to herald His arrival, with sound and visual effects like a new installment of the Avengers. Imagine if he had an army of angels accompanying him singing beautifully because a glorious King had arrived.

But he did not do that – even though we know he could have done that – and more (and I would have done that and more if I were God). Rather, he selected a human family for his child - and not just that, the bible lists 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon and 14 from the exile to the Jesus. Call him a perfectionist and you won’t be too wrong. 

Therefore, this Christmas, whatever you or your family may find yourself going through, believe the perfectionist will use it to make your story even more inspiring. More importantly, look around you – those family members of yours sharing this season with you (or if they are not around you, you are thinking of each other surely) – they are God’s gift to you, and you are God’s gift to them, and you are perfect for each other. So before you complain about what you don’t have, think about their love, good wishes – even the mere fact that you have them – and be grateful, because you may think you have so little, but you could have so much less.

A man without family is the one who is truly poor. The one who has family and chooses to discard them is worse than poor.

Have a blessed Christmas. FN.