Nativity Catholic Church
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The Thrill of an "Anonymous" Christmas
A "FIRESTARTER"
Spiritual Essay by Rev. Dr. Benjamin Berinti, C.Pp.S.
I have been involved in a variety of fundraising campaigns over the years, especially when I was engaged in university ministry. Colleges and universities are always trying to raise money for endowments, or scholarships, or building projects. Serving on the Board of Trustees for St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana for nearly 8 years, I was continually astounded by the great generosity of not only the alumni of the college, but even more so by the “friends” of the college who believed in the mission of Catholic higher education and were willing to ante up from their own coffers. Perhaps more than any other kind of gift received when it comes to raising money for schools, or parishes, or outreach projects that touches my heart is the kind that is given by that great benefactor, “Anonymous”! Whether it is Thanksgiving turkeys for food baskets, or Christmas presents for struggling families, or beautiful works of art, or endowments for education scholarships, I am humbled by the fact that some people, in the sharing of their wealth, wish to remain unknown and unrecognized for their contributions. This may seem puzzling to us, since most of us like a little recognition for our generosity. And that’s more than okay. But to assume the humble stance of offering something for the good of others, without any recognition at all, touches something deep in our souls. As I have been contemplating this great season of giving and generosity, and the many “anonymous” people who quietly and unceremoniously touch other’s lives, I have been reminded of the source of this kind of joy—and why people do it. You see, I did it myself for a number of years for some dear friends, whose lives were always a challenge for survival. There were numerous “surprise” opportunities for sharing with—sometimes when unanticipated doctor bills snuck up on them, or work layoffs made their seasonal appearances, or when a teen pregnancy complicated life even further, or when a particularly cold winter made a choice between the heating bill and food in the refrigerator a perilous decision. Yet my fondest memories are of those several Christmases when I set about rounding up all kinds of presents, especially things they really needed, and then on Christmas Eve, covertly making my way to their front door—and leaving the Christmas cache there for them to discover—without them knowing it was me!! Sometimes they had their suspicions, but I was wily enough to bring a few trinkets with me when I visited them on Christmas Day, just so they’d think it wasn’t me! The thrill of this “silent” giving was beautiful, and I glowed in a way unlike any other kind of generosity I may have tendered someone. I believe the beauty of the anonymous gift is that truly the focus of the sharing is on the person or persons receiving—and not on us. In a sense, it is all about them—and nothing about me. In this quiet and unassuming way of sharing one’s resources, we come to delight simply in the delight of others. We forget ourselves; we empty ourselves, and then become filled with the simple satisfaction that someone will benefit without any sense of obligation, without any feeling of indebtedness, without any cause for reciprocation. John Stendahl wrote that in God’s great desire and love for us, God’s own creation, God “forgets himself” by becoming one with us in the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. While not completely “anonymous,” thanks to the testimony of scripture and the lives of those who were first touched by Jesus, in a way, though, God offers us so awesome a gift that we cannot possibly reciprocate. Jesus, the Word made flesh, lays in a feeding trough, while God simply watches and delights in this supreme act of generosity—expecting nothing in return! This may seem strange to us—after all, aren’t we “obligated” to God now that we have received Jesus? Aren’t we “reciprocating” for this incredible gift by committing our lives to follow in his footsteps as his disciples? Isn’t all this business about doing good works and compassionately offering ourselves in service to others proof that this “anonymous” gift actually has some serious “strings” attached to it? We pray in one of our Prefaces to the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, “You have no need of our praise, yet our desire to thank you is itself your gift to us!” God does not need, nor desire, nor require our thanks and praise. God, who in God’s unconditional love for us sends his only begotten Son to be our redeemer, also gives us another gift—the natural response that wells up in our hearts—the desire to thank and praise God. That’s the difference between God and us—we itch for recognition and acknowledgement in our gift-giving; God has no interest in having God’s name plastered on a billboard, inscribed on a memorial plaque, or honored at a testimonial dinner. As we gather to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, while this may sound childishly selfish and self-serving on first blush, it really isn’t, because of the kind of giver God truly is. From the perspective of God, the great giver of the gift of the Word made flesh who now makes a home among us, Christmas really is all about us!
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