As you stroll the stores this time of year you cannot help but hear the Christmas carols piped through the sound system in the establishment; or perhaps you listen to them at home, or sing them at your church services. Some of them are old and treasured, some are new and fun to learn, some are holy and some are secular. I love the songs that focus on faith and family, for that is what this time of year is for my wife and I- a celebration of Christ's birth and a time to treasure family and friends.
One of the more popular of the "new-old" carols (as opposed to carols from the Victorian age and before) is "Drummer Boy." The song tells the story of a poor boy who has no gift to give the infant Christ child except a song he plays upon his drum. So he plays his best and is rewarded by the holy child's smile.
This time of year we hear a lot about "Keep Christ in Christmas" and "Remember the Reason for the Season" and many people happily tell each other Merry Christmas as they go about their shopping and holiday busy-ness. Yet I wonder how many of them truly slow down to consider what the full mystery is of the holy season we are celebrating; that Christ, the Word, part of the Triune God, very God of very God, became flesh and was born in the humblest of settings, to a poor family, so that He might live as one of us, and die on behalf of us, so that we might become co-heirs with Him and be the adopted children of God. Wow. Just thinking about it is humbling; that God should love us so!
This holy season of Advent and Christmastide (Christmas and the 12 days afterward), take time to celebrate the great gift God has given to us. And perhaps stop to consider what gift can YOU give to God; will it be your time, given to the church or a charity? Will it be your generosity to the needy? Will it be your humble devotion? Like the poor drummer boy of the song, all of our gifts pale to the great gift God has given unto us, but we should still bring what we can to the manger and the cross. When we bring our very best, even if it is but little, God smiles upon us. When we do our best job for His glory, we delight Him. When we show our love to the least of these, we give our love to Him.
What will you give to God in love?
God's grace be with you,
Fr. Charles Butler
One of the more popular of the "new-old" carols (as opposed to carols from the Victorian age and before) is "Drummer Boy." The song tells the story of a poor boy who has no gift to give the infant Christ child except a song he plays upon his drum. So he plays his best and is rewarded by the holy child's smile.
This time of year we hear a lot about "Keep Christ in Christmas" and "Remember the Reason for the Season" and many people happily tell each other Merry Christmas as they go about their shopping and holiday busy-ness. Yet I wonder how many of them truly slow down to consider what the full mystery is of the holy season we are celebrating; that Christ, the Word, part of the Triune God, very God of very God, became flesh and was born in the humblest of settings, to a poor family, so that He might live as one of us, and die on behalf of us, so that we might become co-heirs with Him and be the adopted children of God. Wow. Just thinking about it is humbling; that God should love us so!
This holy season of Advent and Christmastide (Christmas and the 12 days afterward), take time to celebrate the great gift God has given to us. And perhaps stop to consider what gift can YOU give to God; will it be your time, given to the church or a charity? Will it be your generosity to the needy? Will it be your humble devotion? Like the poor drummer boy of the song, all of our gifts pale to the great gift God has given unto us, but we should still bring what we can to the manger and the cross. When we bring our very best, even if it is but little, God smiles upon us. When we do our best job for His glory, we delight Him. When we show our love to the least of these, we give our love to Him.
What will you give to God in love?
God's grace be with you,
Fr. Charles Butler
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