Remembering the Gifts of Christmas

        On Christmas we celebrate our greatest gift, God’s Son our Lord Jesus Christ! In remembrance of the gift each of us has Christmases we shall never forget. As the oldest of eight, (the youngest only 10 months old when I came to the community), I rarely trimmed a Christmas tree because believers in Santa thought that was his “job.” Our celebration was on Christmas Eve. Those old enough to walk traveled across Latonia to our aunt and uncle’s house where we awaited the call that Santa had arrived. They accompanied us home all piled into their car. All received a gift--some requested, other a surprise. Always it was a joyful, loving family occasion.

        Once as a teen, I requested a “trench coat”, a fad then. It was an expensive item in those days but my mother bought it for me, and then I begged her to let me wear it before Christmas. She acceded, telling me it was my gift. There was nothing for me under the tree that Christmas but I learned a lesson—no gifts before Christmas.

        I entered St. Walburg Monastery on September 8 and in the few months before Christmas that year suffered some of the most miserable days of my life from homesickness. Only God’s grace enabled me to survive in the community. At that time, we did not make home visits but had a monthly visiting Sunday when the family came to visit us. My mother wrote frequent letters except during Advent. That Christmas we had a packed house in the monastery parlors, a wonderful day. But the next three days I was physically sick. When I recovered I felt like a new person and never again experience homesickness. It was one of my greatest Christmas gifts

         I saved all those letters my mother had written during that postulant year. The novice directress had actually requested that I ask my mother to write less frequently. Several years ago I typed up those letters and made them into a booklet, a Christmas gift to each of my siblings, grown up with children and grandchildren of their own. That booklet actually represented a year in each of their lives for they were always the subject of those letters. It was a gift lovingly given, loving received and appreciated.

        May the gift of God the Father, the coming of Jesus Christ as flesh among us, and the gifts we have received throughout our lives warm our hearts with thankfulness today.
Sr. Andrea Collopy, OSB