Children’s Christmas Mass – 24 December 2024
Over the last four weeks we have been decorating our Christmas trees. So as we sit in front of our Christmas tree let me tell you the tale of three trees.[1]
Three little trees stood high upon a mountain discussing their dreams for the future. The first little tree looked up at the dazzling night sky and said, “I want to carry the treasure of kings and queens. I want to be beautiful. I want to be filled with the riches of the world.
The second little tree saw a nearby stream, and said, “I want to be a mighty sailing vessel. I want to sail in the roaring oceans, roam the high seas, and deliver kings and queens safely to their destinations.
And the third little tree, because it loved being on the mountaintop, said, “I want to stay right here and grow and grow. I want people that pass by to look at me touching heaven and think of God.”
One day, many years later, three wood cutters came to help the three trees to the next season of their lives.
The first tree, now beautiful, was cut down. I will become the most beautiful treasure chest, he thought. I will get to hold all the world’s riches.”
The mighty second tree was cut down, “I will now sail the roaring oceans,” thought the second tree. “I will be the mightiest of all the sailing ships.”
The third tree, with her branches stretched toward heaven, was also cut down. Together with the other two trees, she was taken down the lovely hillside
The first tree arrived at the carpenter’s shop. The beautiful tree was aglow with excitement. But he wasn’t made into a treasure chest. The carpenter made him into a feeding box for the cows, a manger.
The second tree was brought to a shipyard. The mighty second tree thought, “Now I will be the strongest of ships.” But the second tree was made into a little fishing boat.
The third tree was brought to a lumberyard. She was made into long beams. “Why did this happen, thought the third tree. “All I wanted was to touch heaven.”
As the weeks passed, the dreams of the three trees began to pass. However, one magical night the first tree’s dreams came to life. A young mother, called Mary, put her baby into the box. “This manger is perfect,” said the mother to her husband Joseph. And the first tree was cradling the most important treasure ever.
One night much later the little fishing boat was used by a tired traveller and his friends. They quickly fell asleep and the small boat floated out to sea. The sea became rough and the second tree, now a little fishing boat, was frightened. If only I were a might vessel I could get through the storm, he thought. However the traveller in the boat woke up and said, Peace. And the sea became calm. And it was then that the second tree realised he was carrying the Lord.
And then a little later the third tree, now made into long beams, was taken by some soldiers. She trembled with fear because a man was being hanged upon her. But the following Sunday the sun rose. The earth was full of joy. And she realised that she had been carrying none other than Jesus himself and that everything had changed because of God’s love.
And so the first tree was made beautiful, the second tree was made mighty, and the third tree made people think of God. But not in the way that any of them expected.
Well each of us is like one of the trees in our story. We want to be beautiful, we want to be mighty, and we may even want to be those that help people think of God.
But this story of the three trees teaches us that we are beautiful, mighty and reflective of God not in what we achieve but in what we receive.
And the most special thing we receive is God’s life. When we carry that life as a great gift, when we truly treasure that gift, and care for that gift then we become like a tree, strong, beautiful and reaching to the stars.
[1] Story, A Tale of Three Trees” by Suzanne Lieurance, http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/christmas-tree-stories.htm, accessed 23 December 2013.
