1. Jesus, whose birthday we are celebrating, was born in a stable to earthly parents tired from a "taxing" journey. Did God Incarnate arrive this way to show us how to be virtuous, even holy, in less than perfect, even uncomfortable, circumstances? Was He trying to tell us that our physical accomadations are not really important? I think He was.
The night of the nativity, Mary and Joseph sought the necessities and to be pleasing to God. We have created societies in which people who can say, "I have the necessites for survival and I am pleasing to God," are made to look silly or feel embarrassed because they don't have the latest toys or clothes. I have a problem with this. Of course, it really doesn't matter what I think. God's opinion is what is important.
2. In the past two weeks I have heard well-meaning people say that they felt sorry for children who won't have a "real Christmas." In both cases the adults meant that they wouldn't have Christmases with a number of nice toys or other gifts. Could it be that the children with the least amount of material possessions are having the "real Christmas?"
And isn't the "real Christmas" in your heart and not your possessions? So maybe we should feel sorry for families with enough money to easily forget about the spiritual side of Christmas.
3. Where did this toy giving idea come from anyway? Jesus received gold, frankinsence and myrh - very upscale valuables. No one came with a rattle or stuffed lamb. And didn't St. Nicholas "specialize" in providing dowries of gold for poor girls?
If we followed these examples, we'd be giving more savings bonds or investment items for gifts. These gifts demand serious thoughts about life.
At this holiday which makes such an impression on young people, maybe we are cheating them by instilling in their minds, "Go play." We could give them gifts that say overwhelmingly, "Life is
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