At age 22, as a senior in college, the most I could come up with for Christmas gift ideas were the practical things: a laptop case, a new winter coat, socks, and money (because a kid needs to buy groceries and pay tuition). I racked my brain to come up with more ideas, and I couldn’t think of any. I have a lot of my wants and needs covered, so unless someone wanted to purchase for me a one-way ticket to Rome, Italy, I couldn’t really think of anything.
As I was reflecting on my own inability to name things I would want for Christmas, I recognized that, what I truly wanted, no one could purchase, gift-wrap, and then give to me. What I want for Christmas is peace and joy in the present moment, hope for the future, and clarity and consolation in my pursuit of the Lord’s will. I want conversion in my own heart and the hearts of my loved ones in need of it. I want to give and receive love better.
At the core of all of this is Jesus—the One whom this holiday should be centered around. I want Jesus for Christmas. When looking at all of these intentions and desires, it’s easy for me to be paralyzed by what may or may not happen because I have no control over any of it. But when I cling to Lord, who was born so that I may have life and have it more abundantly, the fears go away. The anxieties about the future go away. They are replaced with the peace, joy, and hope that only the newborn King can bring.
What do you want for Christmas? How have you been preparing for it? Will we allow the newborn Christ to meet us in our mess, just as He was born into a messy cave, and purify it?
May we receive the graces we prayed for this Christmas, but regardless, may we feel the warmth of the love radiating from our newborn King and His blessed parents, and may we not leave this Christmas season unchanged.