One of the Christmas charities we give to is “Boxes of Joy.” This group sends a box of toys to poor children in Central America. Any income received by their families is needed for food, rent, and basic clothing. Do you think anyone would have the nerve to talk to these children about Santa Claus, when year after year they get nothing for Christmas? For them Santa Claus would be an empty made-up story, since he never bothers to show up at their door.
When a box of joy shows up at their door on Christmas, they know that Jesus exists because he went out of his way to bring them gifts on his birthday. You can’t fool little children by telling them something’s going to happen and it never does.
Jesus knew that children could see better than his adult disciples (Luke 10:21-24).
“Jeus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes Father, such has been your gracious will.”
When children saw Jesus, they saw God and joy filled their hearts. When adults saw Jesus, many ignored him, and some were so jealous they plotted to have him killed. God gave the greatest of all gifts, his only son, and the “big people” were too blinded by their own pride and complacency to recognize him. Hurray for the little children who gave Jesus the love he deserved. This is the only incident in the gospels that says Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.” No wonder he values childlikeness in everyone.
He concluded his story by saying:
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
If Jesus’ disciples had the eyes of a child, they too what have been jumping up and down with Jesus, rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, to see the One promised by God and longed for by prophets and kings for many centuries, standing right in front of them.
Advent is a moment when God promises once more to send us Jesus. Has this become a Santa Claus myth for us—a time of good cheer with no expectation that Jesus will really show up? If he hasn’t shown up in the past, why would we think this year will be different. The fact is God never lets us down. He always follows through, including this year. Jesus will show up and few will have the eyes to recognize him. “Big people” will be too caught up in their own affairs to even open the door of their hearts to him. The problem is not whether Jesus will show up; the problem is will anyone be humble enough to open the door and invite him in when he does? Year and year Jesus stands at the door knocking, and year after year many of us sit in a church pew, thinking about Christmas dinner.
Will this year be different? It is our choice. Jesus said he will come at an hour we do not expect. It may be in the confessional when we lay our souls bare to him, or during a weekday Mass when we go out of our way to honor him, or in a tragedy that we can’t handle, or even a personal spiritual experience. Jesus is not like the Santa who doesn’t bother visiting kids in Central America. He is real; he is alive; he comes in a personal way to each of us. Of this we are 100% sure. Are we 100% sure we’ll recognize him and let him into our hearts?
