Embracing the true spirit of Christmas through giving, service: A student’s perspective

This paid piece is sponsored by Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools.

By Remi Byrd, O’Gorman High School class of 2027

Christmas is a time that is spent with family and friends; it brings a family together not only to open gifts and enjoy the holiday but also to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was a man of giving and spreading love, so it makes us think — how can we spread His love during this season?

For a lot of us, Christmas is a magical time filled with wonder and excitement — the glittering lights, festive decorations, all the food and the anticipation of gifts.

But not everyone gets to open a gift on Christmas morning, have a Christmas meal or even see their family for this special time of the year. Some kids have gone years with no presents, wonder or excitement. Sometimes, we think only about what we have and don’t think about the people who don’t have anything at all.

This year, our Advent service project at O’Gorman High School is supporting the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. As a school, we fill 240 Christmas stockings for both adults and children.

We fill them with toiletries and other small items to brighten the day for those seeking shelter at the Bishop Dudley House on Christmas Eve. By donating all these gifts, it impacts every student even if we don’t get to see the joy it brings to the family and children who are receiving them.

When we see how much we are giving as a student body, we come to understand the impact on the amount of people we are helping. It impacts our own future in how we see the world and how we can continue to give back after we leave high school and start families of our own.

As we get older, it is important to teach our children to give so that the world continues to grow with love and service to others. Even if our gifts do not change the whole world all at once, we can know we at least are changing one person’s life for a day. We are called by Jesus to measure our impact not by how much it costs but by how much love comes with the gift.

Each year, we hope to impact more and more families so they are able to have the wonderful, merry Christmas that they deserve.