"Sweets for Baby Jesus"

Well, he looks content enough, Baby Jesus that is. 

He must have really enjoyed that sweet!

After the Christmas Eve Children's Mass the Teacher was handing out sweets as a reward for a job well done. I, along with other adults and children had made my way to the front of the Church to have a look at the Manger. I know what I'm going to see, I just feel like something is wrong if I don't, a bit of tradition I suppose. Many children, especially the little ones, have many queries as to the where-abouts of  the 'missing' Baby Jesus. There were many Mams, Da's, Grandparents and Aunties and Uncles explaining that Baby Jesus hasn't been born yet. Most children accept this.

One little guy made a second trip to the Teacher for additional sweets "For my Brother, he's only little", said he and I don't think the Teacher believed him anymore than any other adult over hearing. Except he proved us all wrong, and we should have known better, after all Santa Claus was still watching and any last minute indiscretions could still be seen and noted. Older brother hands sweets to little brother who promptly heads over to the Manger. Little brother has all the familiar questions at the noticing of the 'missing' Baby Jesus. As with the other children all questions were answered. He was not so willing to accept this response, so promptly went over to the crib (empty of course) in front of the altar and found another Mystery of the Missing Baby Jesus. With a rather perplexed look on his face he darts his eyes between the two empty cribs and quickly, and with purpose, darts over to the Manger. He leans down, in the way only toddlers are capable of doing, you know, it's a kind of squatting of sorts. He takes what can only be a very warm sweet from his tiny hand, placing the remainder in his pocket. He lays the sweet down in front of the statue of Mary, in between herself and the empty crib. He places it with extreme care, going so far as to carefully rearrange it's position. He then speaks quite directly to Mary, he is eye level with her, and says "This is a sweet for Baby Jesus. He'll be hungry when he gets here tomorrow morning." He pats Mary on the head and runs off to meet his family.

I turn to the older woman sitting next to me and we both smile an ear to ear, mouth splitting, heart exploding smile. "Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever", says she. I agree noddingly. "Well, that's Christmas" says she. 

Indeed it is!