“On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”. Matthew 2:11

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As we begin a new church year, we also draw closer to the commemoration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. During the Advent season, many of us have been consumed with preparations: bustling around, making plans for the Christmas Eve dinner, and selecting gifts for our loved ones.

The act of giving has become an integral part of family gatherings. The youngest among us eagerly anticipate the end of the Christmas Eve meal to see what surprises await them under the tree.
Jesus, too, received gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. At first glance, these seem impractical, but in truth, they reveal who He is and foreshadow the sacrifice He would make with His life. These are startling gifts for a child, even unsettling, as they remind us that the Christmas story finds its climax on Golgotha.

Christmas gives the word “gift” a deeper meaning—not because we exchange presents, but because as Christians, we believe we have received an extraordinary gift from God: salvation, revealed in a small Child. A baby, yet an unimaginably great gift, given without expectation of repayment or reciprocity. Through this gift, we have received freedom from sin and the promise of new life. Jesus is the greatest and most precious gift we can discover on Christmas Eve. His presence gives true meaning to the holiday, inspiring us to give, to share, and, most importantly, to change our lives and our relationships with one another.

I wish for all of us that each Christmas would be a return to the reflection of how wonderfully we have been gifted by God: He gave us His Son, who sacrificed His life for us. It is impossible to fully express the depth of the love He has shown us! Therefore, it is essential that we learn to use this gift, to rejoice in God’s closeness, and to share it by passing on this great love and the extraordinary story of this unique gift.

This Christmas, let us pause in silence and say to God: “Thank You.”

Presiding Bishop Jerzy Samiec