FR. Patrick Mbazuigwe shared the following ancient legend in a sermon about the beauty of gratitude. It’s from Kiran Kumar Roy’s blog.
A young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet that he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been a teacher.
After a four-day journey, he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container.
The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”
The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”
The story gives an appropriate message to all of us during this start of the holiday season. When we share and receive gifts this coming Christmas, let’s always remember that it’s not the material value of the gift that counts most but the thoughts and the heart of the giver.
At times, it’s those gifts that seem so small that bring much joy to our lives. Take for example the gift of time and presence. These are the more essential matters in every relationship, whether it is family or friendship. We long for everyone’s presence during special holidays. It does not matter much if we have a grand meal or not, or if we have lots of money or gifts to share. What’s more precious is the time and presence of our loved ones.
I see it a lot when I visit people in convalescent homes. One would see the joy of a sick, aging mother in her face when her daughter or son is with her. And one would feel the heartache of an infirmed father looking out the window of his bare room when no one visits him.
When Mother Teresa came to the United States, she said that the most noticeable poverty she saw in this country is loneliness. People are not dying of sickness but loneliness. They crave for the care and presence of their loved ones.
During this holiday season, let’s share the gifts of time and presence with one another. Let’s appreciate the gift of family and acknowledge it as one of the most significant sources of joy. And let’s not allow egos and resentments ruin its strength and beauty!
Let’s keep forging the friendships we’ve built. When family members are not around, it’s our friends that sooth any loneliness we feel inside our hearts.
Let’s also look around for people in our community and family who may need our care and attention. They may be the homebound, the homeless, and the sick in convalescent homes. With other members of the church or an organization, we can bring them the gifts of ourselves—our smiles, kinds words, and caring hands!
Let’s remember; it’s the giver in us that matters most, not the material gift!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1991-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
