Kenya - Small Shoes for Christmas

 "Small Shoes for Christmas" is the title of a song that is often listened to in El Salvador during Christmas time. It tells of a story of a Small boy who asks Santa Claus to bring him new shoes because the ones he had are already broken.

One Sunday at the Mass of 8:30 am in “Guadalupe” Parish, I sat dawn to listed to the Sunday sermon and Suddenly, something took my attention, as I looked down. I saw that someone was using worn out shoes, the sole of the shoes were totally torn and I wanted to know who the owner of those shoes was, and I realized that it was a teenager, sitting just in front of me. What caught my attention was that, at the time of the offering, the boy stood up and gave everything he had. A question came to my mind:  why doesn’t  he not keep the money use it to buy new part of shoes for himself?

In the Gospel of Mark 12:42-44 we read: "But a poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few sums. Calling his disciple to himself, he said to them, Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed form their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

It is clear that, this teenager was not the widow, but it is the Gospel incarnate in him: He gave everything he had, gave more than others, because he gave it completely. This often disturbs us, so much, this disturbs me. What about you? Why am I disturbed? Because it makes me think about my life, whether I give everything including My whole being, to serve the Lord. At that time God calls me as his disciple: Behold, this teenager, this child, has given everything, more than others. He may well have saved his offering for him because he needs it more, but he gave all, gave all his being, as an offering.

God is calling me this Christmas to give myself wholly to him so that he can be born completely in me. What is God telling you to do in this Christmas? It is to give new shoes to your loved ones or give love, friendship, affection, understanding, or to make your family happier by helping then to have a good heart for Jesus this Christmas that is all what Jesus asking from us. These are the shoes that Jesus is asking for this time and to be born in each and every one heart and nothing more. Take Courage and do this Christmas, a unlike any other you had. Make difference in our lives, and to all around us, as that is our mission.

Happy Christmas to all.

erlin.perez@gmail.com