Sharing Of Gifts A Reflection Of God by Archbishop Gregory

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory

Published: December 23, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Whatever age we might be, I think that at Christmas time we all think about certain things because we can’t help it—and especially, where we learned about love, where we learned about happiness, and the joy that comes to us from seeing joy in the faces of other people. As children of this earth, most of us learn these fundamental lessons in human expression by seeing them and feeling them at the hands of our parents, our families, or by learning them as children from our good teachers.

But then we grow older, and in us, the grace of Baptism deepens our awareness and we come to understand that as in all things beautiful and excellent, the giving of love, and the generous sharing of gifts, is somehow but a reflection of something perfect in God the Creator—something that with many other gifts, He fashioned into our human nature in such a way that we can still call upon them, to reach Him, and one another, whatever challenge stands in our way—doubt, sorrow, betrayal, and even sin.

At Christmas, this truth becomes especially intense, as we think of the beautiful images that mark the occasion of our Lord’s birth on earth. Never in human history was the desire of God to give love, to express joy, so powerfully unleashed as at the time of His Son’s birth. That power is seen in the pure light of a dazzling star that leads worldly kings to kneel humbly before the Child, the prince of peace, the fulfillment of ancient prophecies—it is heard in the song of angels, whose wonder was so intensified that their song broke through from the halls of Heaven and was heard in the skies over Bethlehem—and it falls upon the ears of shepherds, simple servants of the Lord, tending their flocks and awake for this wonder that comes in the still of night. All of these signs, these marvels came, as does our wonder, from the power of God’s love, of His own joy, when His Son was born, and the work of redemption began its final phase. Time is nothing to God, but still, with what expectation He Himself must have measured the waiting, out of love for His children, from the stumbling error and sad expulsion of Adam and Eve, to the first triumphant footsteps of the infant Christ.

But of all the signs of God’s love, one is without parallel and beyond capturing in words, since it is as deep a mystery to us, as the mystery from which Jesus emerges—and that is the love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the purest human love, shielded by the gift of God, and animated by the Holy Spirit in such a way, that only miracles could be shed by the smile of this holiest of women. Mary had nothing to give but herself, her obedience. But those were all to God, and to God she gave them all.

Upon these wonders, brothers and sisters, we build the holiness of our own Christmas celebration, and like those who teach us—God the Father and the Holy Spirit, His Son, our Blessed Mother—like them, and after the practices taught us by so many who have loved us in the past, we reach into ourselves, into our hearts and into our treasure, and we turn to one another—to give, to share, to be as much as possible like the perfection of the One who made us, and then Who saved us by living and dying for our sake. May this Christmas see our knowledge strengthened, and our actions intensified, so that all—loved ones, the poor, the lonely, the forgotten, the ill and wandering—so that all may gain some happiness and peace from what we are able to give.

And finally, let us never forget that we also build the excellence of our works upon those who have worked for us in the past. As this Christmas passes, and the New Year begins, so too begins a new time in the life of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, a time when we will continue to do the Lord’s work, as His one people, and as servants of His word and His love. We have received for this new time, the best gift possible, a firm foundation—the eleven years of labor expended by a beloved father and friend, Archbishop Donoghue. Let us always remember with gratitude, how we have been blessed by his service and affection, and remain true to the example he has given us—the example of centering everything—our praise, our thanks, and our hopes—upon God’s greatest gift, and the heart of every Christian mystery—the Body and Blood of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory

Archbishop-elect of Atlanta