At the beginning of the life of Jesus, the Magi gave the Christ Child gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold was a gift for a king, incense for God and myrrh was given to symbolize the future death of Jesus, for myrrh was used to prepare dead bodies for burial.  

At the end of Jesus’ life, he received a similar gift. Two days before the Passover while the chief priests and scribes were plotting to arrest Jesus so they could have Him put to death at the hands of the Romans by crucifixion, Jesus was at the house of Simon the leper. A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of expensive pure nard. Its estimated worth was a year’s wages. She broke the jar and poured it over the head of Jesus. Aware of the criticism around Him, Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying” (Mark 14:6-8).

We too are given gifts at the beginning and end of life. Most of us were baptized as infants with water and at the same time anointed with the oil of catechumenates and sacred chrism. Then at the end of life, we are anointed with the oil of the sick and receive viaticum — our last Holy Communion. Jesus said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:54).

God is not just satisfied being with us, He wants to be in us. This is what the sacraments are for, they are infusion centers. Every time we receive a sacrament, we receive a dose of Divine Life or Sanctifying Grace into our souls. And with the Eucharist, we receive the literal flesh and blood of Jesus into our bodies. Cars have gas tanks, we have grace tanks. If we do not regularly take our vehicles to gas stations to fill the tanks with fuel, our cars, trucks and SUVs will die and not run. If we do not regularly go to the grace stations of the sacraments, our souls will likewise die. We need to be regularly filled with grace, the life of God from the sacraments in order to stay alive spiritually. The two sacraments we can frequently receive are confession and the Holy Eucharist.  

Jesus was given special gifts at the beginning and end of HIs life, we have been given even more special gifts not only at the beginning and end of our lives but also throughout our lives, with the sacraments. Isn’t it sad and tragic that so many stay away?  

If you are looking to do something special this year — call it a resolution — attend Mass daily if you can fit it in your schedule, or adjust your schedule if you can in order to accomplish this. If this is not possible, spend at least one hour weekly in front of a tabernacle or monstrance in a Catholic Church and adore Jesus Christ true God and true man. Along with monthly confession and the daily recitation of the rosary, that great ‘bible on a rope’, you will notice big changes in your life. 

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your families as we begin this first period of ordinary time.  

The post The Greatest Gift   appeared first on Catholic Medical Association.