It was Christmas Eve and a young mother was busy wrapping the very last package. She asked her little boy to polish her shoes for the next morning’s Christmas Mass. And off he went.
The little fellow was gone quite awhile, but when he returned he was beaming as he presented the shined shoes to his mother. “What a perfect shoe shine!” she said. And with that she gave him a shiny new quarter for working so hard and doing so well.
The next morning when she was dressing for church, she found something lodged in the toe of her shoe – something tiny, wrapped in a crumpled piece of paper.
Carefully she opened the tiny package, and inside she found the quarter she’s given her little boy for shining her shoes.
Written on the crumpled paper in his childish scrawl were these words, “Dear Mama, I done it for love!”
As we gather this night (this day) and hear again the story of Jesus’ birth in a stable, and as we remember with sadness where this wonderful child’s life came to its conclusion on the cross — we have to ask God — “Why did you do it, God? Why did you give us all you have and hold nothing back? Why did you give us your Son?”
From out of the stillness God is whispering a response — “I gave you all I have, because I want you to know, and never forget, how much I think you are worth; I done it for love.”
This incredible message is God’s Christmas gift to each one of us – what we do with it is our gift to God.
Let me share with you a beautiful poem, which I feel lays before us all the real challenges of Christmas — I pray we take it to heart and live it.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoners,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers, sisters, and family,
To make music with the heart.
“I done it for love — I done it for love,” says the God of Creation.
What will we do Christmas 2011?
I close with a short meditation written by a former inmate at Tehachapi Prison.
The shepherd brought wooly lambs to the stable where He lay.
The Wise Men gave him gifts so rare from their own homes far away.
The keeper of the village inn lent the manger and the hay.
But what have I to offer at Mass this Christmas Day?
The blanket that I had planned to weave lies raveled and not done.
’Twas made of good intentions but I broke them one by one.
The pillow I was going to fill and place beneath his head,
held not the feathers of good deeds, but thorns of sin instead.
Time after time, I’ve promised great presents for my King.
Just as many times again, cold empty hands I bring.
Now gazing at that child with Mary standing near,
The answer comes from deep within and banishes all fear;
I give to you these eyes of mine, let them see those in need.
Accept my hands, they now are yours, for only worthwhile deeds.
My feet I give, that they may walk the right path and not stray.
Take my arms, let them support others on the way.
My heart, my mind, my will I give with the humble prayers I say,
These are the gifts I offer you; accept them all today.
What will we do Christmas 2011?
