The Greatest Gift

In the church, we begin preparing for Christmas before Advent begins. In catechism classes, I teach the children some of the popular songs. One of my favorites is from Swiss musician and songwriter, Andrew Bond. He wrote a song called “The Greatest Gift” (“S grööschte Gschänk”).

The Greatest

 A very simple translation is, “the greatest gift on Christmas is not under a tree. It isn’t wrapped in paper, it doesn’t have a ribbon or card, it wasn’t bought and it wasn’t made. But it is still the greatest on Christmas. It doesn’t belong to just one person, it isn’t in just one place, it is with everyone at home. Yes, God made the greatest gift on Christmas on that very first night. He gave Jesus to us so that we can have peace and joy.”

Lost and Found

At Christmas, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose sight of what we celebrate. It is a time when we should reflect on all God has given us, and be thankful that we can breathe and have fresh water to drink. It is a time to share the gifts God has given us with others. God gave us Jesus and it is the biggest gift we could ever receive. 

Homework

Let’s prepare a humble place for him deep in the warmth of our hearts. Let’s nourish this gift with loving thoughts and kind words and then take him out into the world with peace.