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I’m willing to bet that many,
if not all of you, have heard the song and the story of the Little Drummer Boy.
For those who may not have heard it, it is about a little boy, who went to see
to go see a baby who turned out to be a king. This King was a little more than
just a king, He was God Himself, and so the little boy wanted to give this king
something special. Since he had nothing to give he played his drum, since that
was his only gift.
However, this is the newer story, during the medieval times, there was a story that was very similar but it wasn’t about a little boy and his drum, but, rather, a monk and his ability to juggle. This story was called “The Juggler of Notre Dame.”
Essentially, it is about a poor man who had nothing, he carried around a small trunk that had a few articles of clothing and a few things that he could juggle, some rings, some clubs and a few juggling balls. To survive, he juggled on street corners, in parks, and in a variety of other places, but, no matter what, he wasn’t happy. Until, one day, he happened to walk into a church where there was a custom of bringing a gift before a statue of Mary and the little child Jesus.
He was so moved by this that he desired to become a monk, where he finally found happiness. However, the following year when people were, once again, placing their finest gifts before Mary and the child Jesus, he thought he had nothing to offer, until he remembered his little trunk. He dusted it off, took out his rings, clubs and juggling balls and, one by one proceeded to juggle them for Mary and the child Jesus.
Another monk saw him and accused him of blasphemy, a word that means he wasn’t being respectful, so the monk went to get his superior, however, when the priest, the monk and the juggler stood before the statue of Mary and the child Jesus, it is said, that Mary became real and blessed this juggler, pleased as she was by his gift for her child.
The juggler realized what a gift truly is, and what it is meant to be. Because the greatest gift that we can give to God is, indeed, the gift He gave to us. He didn’t just give a present wrapped with a beautiful bow, instead, He gave us Himself, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
That is why, in a few minutes, at the offertory, I would invite you to bring something very special and valuable to you and to place it before the child Jesus. To show how appreciative we are of the gift of God, of the gift that the Father gave us, His very Son, to show Him that, in spite of all the great presents we may get this Christmas, the greatest and most important present is His presence among us.
However, this is the newer story, during the medieval times, there was a story that was very similar but it wasn’t about a little boy and his drum, but, rather, a monk and his ability to juggle. This story was called “The Juggler of Notre Dame.”
Essentially, it is about a poor man who had nothing, he carried around a small trunk that had a few articles of clothing and a few things that he could juggle, some rings, some clubs and a few juggling balls. To survive, he juggled on street corners, in parks, and in a variety of other places, but, no matter what, he wasn’t happy. Until, one day, he happened to walk into a church where there was a custom of bringing a gift before a statue of Mary and the little child Jesus.
He was so moved by this that he desired to become a monk, where he finally found happiness. However, the following year when people were, once again, placing their finest gifts before Mary and the child Jesus, he thought he had nothing to offer, until he remembered his little trunk. He dusted it off, took out his rings, clubs and juggling balls and, one by one proceeded to juggle them for Mary and the child Jesus.
Another monk saw him and accused him of blasphemy, a word that means he wasn’t being respectful, so the monk went to get his superior, however, when the priest, the monk and the juggler stood before the statue of Mary and the child Jesus, it is said, that Mary became real and blessed this juggler, pleased as she was by his gift for her child.
The juggler realized what a gift truly is, and what it is meant to be. Because the greatest gift that we can give to God is, indeed, the gift He gave to us. He didn’t just give a present wrapped with a beautiful bow, instead, He gave us Himself, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
That is why, in a few minutes, at the offertory, I would invite you to bring something very special and valuable to you and to place it before the child Jesus. To show how appreciative we are of the gift of God, of the gift that the Father gave us, His very Son, to show Him that, in spite of all the great presents we may get this Christmas, the greatest and most important present is His presence among us.
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