A Christmas Story

You can accuse me of being sentimental. The truth is, Christmas always bring feelings of nostalgia in me. I do not know why. Maybe because it is the time of the year when we think more of others and less of oneself. After all, isn’t Christmas a season of giving and sharing? Jesus has given himself to us as a gift; the greatest gift each and every one of us in this world can ever receive.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty, founder of Friendship House that offers shelter to the homeless used to tell the following story that happened to her many years ago in New York.

It was Christmas Eve and she was about to leave for midnight mass when she encountered a young Negro couple outside the door of Friendship House. The woman was carrying a baby all bundled up in her arms.

The man politely approached Catherine and told her that they came from the South and had just gotten off the train. He was a carpenter and he came to New York to look for a better job. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they have been delayed and arrived in New York in the middle of the night. They only had little money which was not even enough for a night’s lodging. Being strangers in the big city, they did not know whom to approach and where to go to spend the night.

Catherine was in a dilemma. She just could not send away this couple and their child in the cold biting wind of the night. But she could not think of any place to refer them. Friendship House is full, as well as other family shelters in New York. They even separate members of families for lack of room.

Lack of room, Christmas Eve, man, woman, child. Suddenly, the situation hit Catherine right between the eyes. No, this was not the time to send such a family anywhere. This was the time to offer them personal hospitality, if for no other reason than to atone for the hospitality that was not given almost 2,000 years ago.

In more ways than one, we also experience in our life what Catherine experienced in hers that particular Christmas Eve.

The Holy Family comes to us disguised in many ways and in various circumstances. They come knocking into our hearts in the persons of people around us. Are we generous enough to let them in or are we going to turn them away because of lack of room? The choice is ours!