The Gift that gives
Today in the three kings the wisdom and power of the world kneel before the foolishness of God, and unlike some, their response is not fear and anger but gratitude. In the act of responding, of seeking and finding, these gentiles are a foretaste of the feast, a tithe to God of all the peoples to come.
The response of worship, the capacity to bless and the impulse to give, are fundamental marks of what it is to be a human being. And it is these human responses that, for the rest of our lives and against much opposition, are being purified and recalibrated to their proper end—God—and to their proper motive, love that seeks first not its own good but that of the Other.
In Jesus we see how this all works, and from both sides. God takes every risk and holds nothing back; in Jesus we see what worship and self-gift look like when a real human being does it. For this is all Jesus’s business in the world, not only to show us what the Father is like, but to reveal the Father himself. At the last supper Philip says to Jesus, “Show us the Father and it is enough.” And Jesus says, “Have you been with me so long, Philip, and still you do not know me? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”
And here is the note of dissonance to which we must pay attention. St Matthew tells us that, when King Herod heard the news of the wise men, he was afraid, and all Jerusalem with him. Jerusalem, the city set on a hill, failed of its capacity to bless and its destiny to worship the highest good. Jerusalem, the city of peace, showed instead the face of the city that killed the prophets and stoned those who were sent to her.
Alongside the three kings with our little camels of self-gift following behind us to the monastery, we’ve lain all we are at Jesus’s feet. And as much as we’ve been able to begin to give, Jesus accepts. Someday it will seem to be only a pittance, but at the time it was our all. As Jesus reveals himself to us, revealing the Father, he helps us see that there is more yet to give, and strengthens us to give it. By the light of his mercy, little by little, we are allowed to see just how much of ourselves we’ve held back. And our response to this turns out not to be fear and guilt, but deep joy and gratitude. To the degree that we are being purified, we see that complete self-gift is what we were made for.
For the rest of the time this creche is in the chapel, let us let this Infant search us. Let him call out of us all our gifts of love, let him see what crowns we might still have with us to set down before him.
Recent Issues
September 2024
May 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
July 2023
May 2023
January 2023
December 2022
October 2022
September 2022
July 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015