Christmas Gifts

Yesterday…

…We went to our Christmas Day church service. There were carols and prayers. Children and adults showed off their Christmas presents; others talked about their family Christmas traditions of not opening their presents until later…

We lit our fifth advent candle and remembered the gift of the Christ-child – and how he brings us gifts of peace, joy, love, hope and life.

…We came home. Eleven of us spent the day together. There was a lot of laughing, talking, listening, meal-preparation, eating, drinking, noise, clearing up… And there were presents – the expected and the unexpected, the useful and the funny, the clearly labelled and the anonymous. The greatest gift was the family being together and enjoying being together…

Musing on gifts…

…For every gift there must be a giver… Reflecting on gifts that I had given, those yesterday who had been generous givers…

…For every gift there must be a receiver… Looking at my pile of gifts – including enough beer, books and chocolate to last me for several months.

…For every gift there may be gratitude… ‘Thank You!’ was said many times yesterday. We were all grateful for all that we received…?

Today…

It’s Boxing Day – traditionally a day when the rich boxed up gifts to give to the poor, servants received a special Christmas box from their masters, and servants would go home to give Christmas boxes to their families. It’s another day for Christmas gifts.

It’s also ‘The Feast of Stephen’. St Stephen’s was the first Christian martyr. Stoned outside Jerusalem, like Jesus he died praying for his executioners. I googled ‘St Stephen’: ‘The Church draws a comparison between the disciple and his Master, emphasizing the imitation of Christ even unto the complete gift of self.’

Musing… so who is the giver, the receiver, and where is the gratitude?

Reading that Saint Stephen is the patron of stonemasons, masons, bricklayers, deacons, horses and headaches… I fear that some friends, who drunk too much yesterday, may need St Stephen’s help today.