Christmas is always Christmas. That was the clear message going out from a group of volunteers, who participated in assembling and delivering Christmas hampers to the needy of Sacred Heart Parish of the First Peoples in Edmonton.
Hours were spent on Friday placing in the hampers a variety of necessary items, and Saturday morning was delivery time. I was privileged to be with them Saturday as they met at St. Albert parish in the city of St. Albert (following all pandemic-related restrictions, of course), and to thank and bless them as from there they set off to deliver the parcels.
In this time of pandemic, Christmas celebrations and traditions are far from what they usually are. The reality of lack is experienced by many as very painful, understandably enough. Yet we need to be wary of the temptation that lies within this pain, namely, to be so focused upon our own anxiety and distress that we forget the needs of others. Outreach in charity is an abiding moral obligation for Christians. It is accentuated by the mystery of Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus, given to the world as gift. In the nativity of Jesus Christ, we are shown that the heart of authentic human living is making oneself a gift for the other.