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March 4, 2005
Homily 25 December 2004
By Fr. Hathaway FSSP
Mater Dei Latin Mass Community

Christmas Eve
On the Christmas Wish List and Giving

“This day in the town of David a Savior has been born to you…” 

The best gift man will ever receive is God become man.  As the Christ Child is the Savior of all mankind, past, present, future, so he is mankind’s most excellent Gift.  What more could we ask? 

Tonight let us consider the Christmas Wish List and what we ought to give God and neighbor.

It is a custom among some people, maybe even a few of us here, to write down a list of things we would like to have for Christmas… then hope to get it!  This is called a Wish List.

Well, Almighty God also has a Wish List.  It has only two things written down on it: “Love the Lord the God with all thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind” AND “love thy neighbor as thyself.”  (Mt 22:39) 

<>Now how do we give God His first item; how do we love Him properly?  He has already told us in the Person of His son, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn 14:15)  We love God and fulfill His first Wish List desire when we keep His commandments e.g., we love God properly by keeping holy the Sabbath by attending holy Mass all Sundays and holydays of the year and by refraining from unnecessary shopping and servile works on those days.

Now how do we give God His second item; how do we love our neighbor properly?  Well, in short, we do what God has already done; we give ourselves to our neighbor.  “I have given you an example that as I have done for you, so you do also.”  (Jn 13:15)

We are all well aware of the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time.  There is nothing wrong with this; it signals the affection we bear one another.  But in giving these presents exterior to ourselves, let us not forget the more excellent way to show our love for our neighbor.

I will speak first to the children and then to their parents… and any left out can apply the idea to their own lives.

Children, have you ever considered what your parents really want from you?  You might not have seen this written on their Wish List, but this is what they want from you: obedience, honesty, truthfulness.  These will make excellent presents… not available at Walmart.  How might you give these presents?  Do your chores without complaining, don’t cheat on school work, don’t lie to get out of trouble; don’t exceed your time on the computer, be eager for the family Rosary and bedtime prayers.  Your parents want virtuous children (because they want to see their children in heaven); and so make every attempt to give your parents the present of a virtuous son, a virtuous daughter.  This will truly be a joy to your parents and better than those golf clubs they may have written down as wanting.

Spouses, have you ever considered what your spouse really wants from you?  A vacation trip to an exotic and heavenly place, oh say like Montana, may be nice to you, but is that what your spouse really wants?  And although this too may have been lacking on a Wish List, here is what one spouse wants from the other:  sacrifice, forgiveness, support.  How might these be given?  Be more eager to practice a mutual self-sacrifice, a mutual forgiveness, a mutual willingness to cooperate in the family life.   Speaking more precisely: every husband wants a submissive wife, who does not challenge his authority nor nag him so that he must seek refuge in his work shop; every wife wants a husband who is willing to sacrifice himself… who will “lay down his life” and take time to lead the family Rosary, spend time with the children; maintain and repair the home as needed; the wife will appreciate it if the husband descends to wash dishes or change diapers as needed; no wife wants to be the slave of a tyrant.

Now we could go on, and speak on other relations we have with our neighbor: what brothers and sisters should really write down on their Wish Lists for each other; what friends should want from friends; what even our enemies should be given… but the point hopefully has been made.

This day in the town of David a Savior has been born for us.  Almighty God has given Himself to us; not for His benefit but for our eternal good.  God became man to redeem mankind but also to instruct them how to give, ‘As I have done for you, so you also do for each other.’   There is no better gift than oneself for when one gives oneself there is nothing more to give.

May our Blessed Savior teach us to be more like Him; may He help us to give ourselves more completely, and more often, all our numbered days on this earth unto a blessed Eternity.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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