The Christmas Season, like Easter, is so important to my faith. It is also a joyful time that is full of legends and traditions handed down to us through the centuries. One such legend that I enjoy very much is the story of Befana, an old woman who delivers treats to children during the night on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany. Here’s one variation of this endearing story.
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ong ago there was an old woman who spent her days tirelessly cleaning her house – sweeping, dusting, scrubbing, polishing, wiping from room-to-room and top-to-bottom.
One evening as she was in the middle of her toil, there was a knock at her front door. With her broom still in her hand, she opened the door and was startled to see three strangers clad in luxurious robes. She could tell by their appearance that they had come from afar. Their words and refined manners showed that they were cultured and educated.
These three regal and learned men told her that they were following a star in search of a newborn king. They asked her if she knew where the child might be. The Befana was befuddled and dismissively said she knew nothing of such a child.
The three gentlemen then invited her to join them in their search, but the old woman declined saying she had too much housework to do. She abruptly closed the door and resumed her endless sweeping. The three men regretfully left her and resumed their journey.
Soon afterwards, the Befana found herself unable to stop thinking about the three exotic strangers and the child they were seeking. Suddenly, her housework seemed meaningless – especially as Divine Providence seemed to have chosen her, alone in her humble home, for such an invitation. She saw how foolish she had been for not having seen this before.
She now realized that she had made her life insignificant by spending all of her days compulsively cleaning and sweeping. She had missed everything important in life, especially that miraculous knock on her door. She then thought to herself that maybe it wasn’t too late to find the three wise men, go with them and give her own gifts to the baby.
The Befana frantically gathered her most valuable objects so she could give them to the child. She quickly tied them in a satchel and ran out the door. She searched and searched through the night, but she never found the Magi.
Alone, she still searches and because her foolishness kept her from finding the baby they were seeking, she gives gifts to good children the night before the Feast of Epiphany.
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How many times have we found ourselves caught up with the activities that we think are important? Have we declined an invitation to join Our Lord because we were so focused on our personal matters? Today, I’m going to give some treats to a child or two in hopes that they will find the Divine Child during their lifetime. And, perhaps, if God permits, I, too, will find the gifts of peace and joy that only the Christ Child can provide.