January 2, 2010
Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
By Jack Finnerty
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. (1 John 2:22-28)
I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. John 1:26-27
Piety
Loving Jesus, as we enter the New Year, fill us with your saving grace. We offer ourselves to you, and strive to know you better and draw ever closer to you. May every breath of 2010 be a breath of the Holy Spirit, joyfully received and joyfully returned, beginning with this one right now. Amen.
Study
To me the song “Little Drummer Boy” is one of the most beautiful songs played during the Christmas season, if not the entire year. To be sure, the twenty-one repetitions of pa rum pum pum pum may be boring for the singer, but the rest of the lyrics are among the most meaningful of all our popular carols and far from boring. Here we have a boy, a poor boy, who wants to join others in honoring their new born king (who also is a brother poor boy just like the drummer.) He was not like the other visitors; he did not possess the fine gifts that they did. He had little, perhaps nothing, except one thing - he had a drum. It was probably a very inexpensive drum, a drum made of wood and lamb skin – no fancy brass or stainless steel trim, no fancy tuning knobs. A poor boy with a poor drum. He worried that his playing of that simple drum would not be a fit gift for the king. But it was the only gift he had to offer.
I can picture the little boy standing before the Holy Family, offering to the new mother to play for her son, our new king. Mary nodded and the boy played. Pa rum pum pum pum, pa rum pum pum pum. The ox and the lamb kept time and the boy played his best for Him.
The lyrics don’t suggest any other history or story with this gift. Perhaps the boy was from neighboring homes, or maybe the son of a nearby shepherd. I like to imagine that this simple offering was the first gift the newborn king had received many days before the Magi arrived with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It doesn’t matter, though, if it was not the first gift or when that gift was offered. What really matters is that the gift was all the little boy had. He offered everything he possessed. He played his music, he offered his love, and with that he offered himself – the very finest gift anyone can give. Jesus then gave the little boy one of His first gifts – he smiled His approval of the boy’s gift and offered in return His own love to the boy.
The totality of the little drummer boy’s gift mirrors the public gift that Jesus would offer up at the other end of his life. Jesus offered up everything he possessed when he was stripped and nailed to the cross. Jesus, too, offered his love, the very finest gift he could give.
Both of today’s readings were written by John the Apostle, addressing the same central point, proclaiming the sureness and the certainty of Christ’s coming and his message. Like the little drummer boy, none of us thinks our gifts or ourselves are any more worthy than John the Baptist thought of his own life. The Baptist knew with profound certainty who he was and who Jesus was, and with that same certainty he answered the priests and Levites of the worthiness of the one coming after him.
The apostle John confidently tells us that “whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well,” and then relates this to the Son’s promise of eternal life. May we accept this promise of life, understand our role, and carry it out with the same generosity and humility of John the Baptist and of that little drummer boy.
Action
Ask yourself: What is my gift to Him? Is this gift the finest gift I have to offer? Is this gift all I have, the gift of my love, the gift of me, all I am? What would I offer for His finest gift – His smile of approval for me?
