What's hidden in the Christmas Tree?

Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

 

Looking at my beautiful, bare christmas tree was a good reminder again of how we can lose sight of the beauty that is "hidden" underneath. I saw a devotion once that talked about the true meaning of Christmas hidden in the Christmas tree, if you took away all the lights, all the decorations and even the green needles, you'd be left with a simple cross (the trunk and the branches). God's ultimate "I love you" symbol. We are SLOWLY decorating our house for Christmas this year, trying to follow the Catholic tradition of the time before christmas as the season of Advent that is waiting for Christ and preparing our hearts, and then really celebrating at Christmas. So, the bare christmas tree is a reminder that Christmas is coming, but it's not here yet. We'll be adding lights and decorations as Christmas gets closer, each with a purpose. Just another attempt to re-focus our hearts! It's also a lot of fun with a toddler in the house, since each decorating addition is very exciting to him and he gets a few days to be amazed by it before we add something else. God really does reveal things to us so simply, I don't think he's hiding things from us, it's just we have complicated things so much we can't see what's underneath anymore. A child, on the other hand, just sees the simple and appreciates it's beauty. Today, I feel that Jesus also says to us "blessed are the eyes that see what you see". I have always felt very blessed that I sometimes see the world differently than many, and today is no exception. I am so blessed because millions of people will look at a Christmas tree and just see another Christmas decoration, but now whenever I see a Christmas tree, I see the cross of Christ and I am reminded of His unimaginable love for me.

 

Father, thank you for the beauty that you have hidden right in the open for us to discover. Thank you for always reminding me what is important and what life is really about. Please help me to see underneath the clutter in life to the true message and blessings you have set out for me. And thank you for allowing me to be blessed enough to "see what others did not". Amen.