With the Star of the East as their guide, the magi from afar found the young Jesus.
With their hearts full of adoration they offered their best gifts: gold, frankincense and myrhh.

What gift can we bring?
Can we offer anything worthy of our King?

Maybe you too remember the Christmas story, “Why the Chimes Rang.”

It seems that in a faraway country there was a wonderful church with a huge stone tower, rising far into the sky. At the top of the tower hung Christmas bells. Each Christmas Eve the people brought their gifts to the Baby Jesus. It was said that when the best and greatest gift was given, the bells would ring. But sadly the bells were not heard.

In the countryside, lived a boy, Pedro, and his little brother. They had slipped away, walking through the cold and snow towards the city. Just outside the city, they found a poor woman who had fallen and was too sick and tired to keep going. Pedro knelt to care for her, he couldn’t leave her alone. He gave Little Brother the one small silver coin from his pocket. Hurry on to the church, he said, and give this when no one is looking.

The church was beautiful when Little Brother arrived, the music resounded, and all the people brought their most expensive gifts to the Baby Jesus. Then the organ stopped and the old priest held up his hand for silence. Softly the sound of the bells was heard, so clear and so sweet. What gift had caused the bells to ring? As they looked, they saw only Little Brother who had moved silently to the front when no one was looking. He had given the Baby Jesus Pedro’s small piece of silver. He had given all that they had.*

No gift is too small, when we give our best with a heart full of love.

Judy

*Paraphrased to shorten for this blog, from the tale, “Why the Chimes Rang” by Raymond MacDonald Alden.