‘Tis the Season for Gift Giving
These next few weeks will be filled with pondering what to buy, shopping for the special gift, wrapping it meticulously for the best presentation and delivery of the gift. Perhaps you will expand past loved ones in the family and give to co-workers, neighbors, the postman, bus driver and other services you depend on to keep your living moving smoothly. This can become very stressful.
Gift giving has been around for a long time. The Christmas gift giving began with the magi gifts. The three kings, Melchior, Balthasar and Casper respectively presented the Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each of these gifts brings a special meaning for the Holy Family. Gold was presented to the Holy Family who would soon be fleeing for their lives to a strange land (Matthew 2:13-15). They would likely need the capital to start a new life in a foreign place. What gift could we offer Jesus that would rival gold? In a word, his Word. It is “more to be desired than gold, yes, much more than fine gold; sweeter than honey” (Psalm 19:10). Like the Incarnation, it is first God’s gift to us, and we give it back to him by receiving it and living it with love.
Frankincense was the gift presented by the magi Balthasar. It was the main ingredient for incense used in the biblical Temple, made from a dried resin drawn from the craggy trees of the Arabian Peninsula (the land of Mt. Sinai). It is the smell of worship, an appropriate gift for the adoring threesome at the home of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:1-2, 8, 11). Caspar unwrapped his gift of myrrh for Christ and his mother. Many have pointed out that myrrh was used, along with other spices, for preparing the bodies of the dead (John 19:39), and this may have been a foreshadowing of his death for us. It is worth our prayerful reflection—Christ was born to die, for each of us. But myrrh was also used for healing wounds, and as a painkiller (Mark 15:23). It was a means of showing mercy to others.
Fast forward to the 4th century and meet St. Nicholas, the inspiration for the Santa Claus of the Midwestern world and beyond. Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek city of Myra. Throughout his life he had a reputation of taking care of needs of people, following in Jesus’ steps.
One of the most known stories of St. Nicholas talks about a widowed man, old and poor, with three daughters. Having no money for dowries, upon his death, his daughters would most likely be sold into slavery or prostitution. One night while everybody was sleeping, Nicholas rode past the family’s home and flung a red velvet bag filled with gold coins through the window of the old man’s home. The father heard the noise and saw Nicholas riding off, and he spent the rest of his life praising God for sending Nicholas to them.
For the last 700 years, a tradition of putting out your shoe new the fireplace on the evening of December 5th for St. Nick to come and fill it with some coins, candy and oranges, has been celebrated. The coins are given in remembrance of the coins St. Nicholas left the girls in need of a dowry. The oranges are given to signify the gold that St. Nicholas gave away to those in need. This tradition comes from the legends of St. Nicholas’ generosity and led to the celebration of Santa Claus on Christmas Day today.
I remember as a child the eagerness to put my shoe outside my door, trying hard to fall asleep, then to wake up the next morning to a yummy treat. Since I grew up in a home without a fireplace we improvised and placed them by our bedroom doors. I have carried out this tradition to my children and now my grandchildren are experiencing the same excitement.
Another, although not an exclusive Nicholas Day tradition is to create Holy Moments—moments of kindness, generosity, and friendship, imitating St. Nicholas’ great legacy. You could drop off a grocery store gift card to those in need, anonymously pay the utility bill of someone in need or donate gifts to local foster care programs.
St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6th (or when you can intercede and help a person in need) is a reminder of the powerful message of generosity and love that Nicholas lived.
While you are venturing through this season of pondering what to buy, shopping for the special gift, wrapping it meticulously for the best presentation and delivery of the gift you may remember St. Nicholas. A kindhearted saint who taught us to take care of the poor anonymously. Many of those in need will be helped at Christmas by amazing people like you
This is one of the reasons Alleluia Baskets when we explain the reason why we distribute thousands of Easter baskets, we desire to intercede the families who need our help. The recipients are children of all ages and senior adults, those who have little or no control over their circumstances. Our mission is to provide joy! At Alleluia Baskets we want to be sure to continue that joy for them at Easter, when Christ is Risen!
May your Christmas be filled with blessings, prayers, miracles and love from your family, friends and those you least expect.
Karen Mesler
Founder of Alleluia Baskets