Eight years ago, my then nine-year old granddaughter, Maxine Ysabelle, came home from school excitedly shouting, “ Mommy,” ( that’s how my grandchildren call me), “I have something to show you.” From a small, pink, heart-shaped box, she took out a cute, fancy ring, which, to my estimate, cost two pesos. “And where did you get the money to buy that?” I asked. She bubbly replied, “I used my BAON. I didn’t buy food because I wanted to buy this ring.” I flew into a rage! My anger, mixed with a grandmother’s concern, as I imagined her in a corner trying to quell her hunger pangs while her classmates were feasting, got the better of me and I started to scold her. “Don’t do this again, do you understand?” With my voice reaching a crescendo, I added, “Food is more important than that ring, you should know that!” Her humble reply came in a feeble whisper, in a response that struck me to the marrow and broke my heart over and over again into a thousand pieces: “ But, Mommy, I bought this as a gift for you because I noticed you have no ring.” I suddenly felt as if all the heavenly bodies, in one accord, came down crushing upon me, punishing me for being thoughtless and unkind, and, yes, cruel to the nth degree! How and why a grandmother did this to a nine-year old, innocent, loving girl was just beyond me. I knelt down to embrace her and to ask for forgiveness. “I’m sorry.” I uttered in a voice fraught with sadness. I didn’t offer any excuse. I was conscience-stricken and guilty beyond reasonable doubt. I took the ring after a heartfelt, ‘Thank you.” Then ran into my room and there, cried in silence. As I poured my heart out to the Lord in remorse, ISAIAH 9:6 came to mind, “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. A Son is given! GIVEN? It dawned on me that that was the First Christmas and the First Gift was from the heavenly Father. The Gift came not bundled in classy wrapper and placed under a magnificent Christmas tree. It came in swaddling clothes and placed in a box from which cows and horses feed. I couldn’t help but ask myself, “How could the upper echelon of the business world, the rich and the famous and the beautiful, accept that kind of Gift? That First Christmas and the incident between my granddaughter and me made me understand profoundly the value of the gift and the preciousness of the giver. She gave it at her own expense- foregoing a lunch for my sake. Her gift was for me, a grandmother unworthy of that generous act of love. I found a small degree of parallelism between what my granddaughter did and the scene on that First Christmas. The Father neither sent a host of angels, nor a dozen roses, nor some pieces of jewelry, nor a number of animal species as gifts of salvation to the human race. He sent the most precious, His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS. He gave at His own expense unmindful of the cost. My granddaughter gave up her lunch for me- that I may have a ring on my finger. Our Heavenly Father gave up His Son for us all – that (we) might have life and have it more abundantly. JOHN 10:10. Indeed, we can never outdo the Lord in what He has done. Neither can we out give Him in what He has given. Is it any wonder then that Christmas, among all the holidays of the year, is the most celebrated anywhere in the world? People say, this is the season of exuberance, of fun. Yes, I agree. But above all, this is a season of love amidst a hatred-filled generation and a season of hope behind a seemingly hopeless future. “ He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up FOR US ALL, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” ROMANS 8:32 For whom is Christmas then? The CHRIST of the MASses is for YOU, for me, for US all. No one else. You can accept or reject the Gift. The choice is yours. A blessed Christmas to all!