Gifts

I was praying with our prayer club after school today and before we began, I told them I had something to give them but it wasn't very much, just something small and I was sorry I couldn't do more. Before I could go on the kids didn't even bat an eye or seem disappointed, they were thankful. Then one little girl said, "The only gift we need is Jesus." And another student said, "I was thinking that same thing."   

I shared what I had brought to give them. Just a simple candy cane. They were grateful. (Again...the fact they were grateful over a piece of candy they probably already had a bunch of times over the years...nothing new, amazed me).

 

I  did have something a little more to give and so did they though.

 

I had a story, or a legend  rather about the candy cane to share with them. I read the legend aloud. As I read we learned; the white symbolized the virgin birth, the (J) shape is for Jesus and the shepherd's staff, the one thick red stripe is for the blood shed on the cross and the 3 thinner red stripes is to remind us of the scourging. We talked briefly after about some of these ideas and how sometimes we all can lose focus during Christmas on the "wrong" gifts. We then began to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. All of the children prayed so beautifully. They gave Jesus a gift today with their prayers.

 

(Watch a video about the whole legend below or print your own).

As we were getting ready to leave the church a student came up to me and said, "You know Ms. Belz I was thinking about Christmas and how people really do focus on the wrong things, like (material) gifts instead of Jesus." I asked her what she thought we could do about that, if maybe we could share what she has learned? So as we were walking back to the school we began to form a plan. With only three days of school left before break, she is planning on creating video to teach others! Filming starts tomorrow, stay tuned!