You know the drill. You’ve got the list. It includes relatives close and distant, the neighbor’s kids, teachers, friends and so on. But I’ll bet there’s someone of great import that you left off your list: God. Right, that’s God, Lord, THE God!
What are you getting him for Christmas? You say that you thought that Christmas was about God’s gift to us? Jesus, His Son, is the ultimate generosity in all of time, space and eternity. Besides what could you get God anyway? There is, quite literally, nothing he needs. After all, he made everything himself!
God is like your Mom or Dad: if you ask them what they want/need; the answer is always; nothing! This is pretty much true of The Father. If you read the Bible from cover to cover you will not find one single sentence that points out any item that God says he needs. The Bible, however, is a roadmap to the personality of God and His relationship with the human race. All we have to do is look closely at God’s friendships and the information about what to get him is “right there.”
Have you attended a wedding lately? If yes, did you listen closely to the readings and the vows? You may not have noticed that the word “obey” is not as present as it once was in the wedding liturgy. Our postmodern society has pretty much ostracized that term from the marriage ceremony as well as other parts of the public square. You may also not be the only one to hear the “marriage reading” and cringe just a little at the idea of participating in “obedience.” It’s a term we quickly dismiss but one that is dear to God.
I guess our aversion comes because we only see that obedience is wrapped up with human ego and can often be a “weapon” that we use against each other.
For God, though, obedience is the truest hallmark of mutual love. In the Old Testament people were obsessive about “sacrifice.” Everyone had to sacrifice, even the poorest of the poor. There were prescribed times, rituals, and requirements for sacrifice at the temple. Sacrifice happened there 24/7. In part, that was because there was no “relationship” with the God of Gods and people believed that they had to constantly offer something to God to keep him pleased.
Jesus radically changed all that, but long before His time the prophets tried to teach the people that there were other ways to please and love God;
Does the Lord so delight in holocausts and sacrifice as in obedience to the command of the Lord? Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22).
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1).
In the two readings above, Old and New Testament, the contrast is clear. Sacrifice is something that you do that is very impersonal and “outside” of yourself. You can buy sacrifice.
Obedience, though, is something you become. Obedience to God implies many things: love, ultimate trust, no need to question or argue, serenity, peace, security no matter what the situation. Obedience is the only way to get to know God ultimately and understand what he has in store for us personally.
Moses was obedient, Job was obedient, Joseph was obedient, Mary was obedient, Jesus was obedient. That’s literally the only thing God wants from each of us. It opens the door to total relationship with Him. So that’s what you can give the Father for Christmas. It’s a little hard to wrap, but just do your best!
Copyright 2014, Kathryn M. Cunningham
Kathryn M. Cunningham
Kathryn holds a Master’s in Education from Saint Xavier University. Most recently she completed Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from The Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. This recent degree was part of a “retirement project” after teaching for 35 years. She has also worked as a spiritual director, music minister,council member and prayer team warrior. Kathryn has a deep interest in catechesis for the people in the pews. As a “sort of” convert she finds the wisdom of the Church a source for encouragement, joy and survival in a world not sure of anything. Her writing has appeared in diocesan publications and on-line sites, most recently for Zenit. To learn more about Kathryn check out her thinking at: www.atravelersview.org">ATravelersView.org.
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