St. Therese Institute’s Version of the Secret Santa Tradition
The noise of excitement and anticipation grows in the St. Therese coffee lounge as people finish their after-supper chores and make their way into the room. Decorated for Christmas and with furniture reconfigured for seating in the round, the room is transformed into a festive courtroom.
These past few weeks of Advent have included some sneaking, some scheming, some bribing accomplices, and some clandestine undercover work. It all culminates in tonight’s final ceremony of the “Advent Angel” game. Advent Angel is the St. Therese Institute version of Secret Santa. In tonight’s ceremony, witnesses will be called and have their chance to lay down accusations of “who-done-it” – an attempt to guess the person who has been secretly blessing them with small gifts these past weeks.
With hot chocolate in hand, the chairs, couches, and cushions on the floor are claimed. The room falls to silence as director Nick Pierlot rises and, instead of banging a gavel on the desk, erects a single pointer finger – the St.Therese community’s signal for “may I have your attention.” Nick welcomes everyone, explains the proceedings, and draws attention to Exhibit A, the focal point of this assemblage: the Christmas tree with 36 presents arranged under it, each wrapped in mystery. The presents are the final gifts of this annual Advent game.
The reason we give gifts at all goes deeper than just having seasonal fun! From a Catholic perspective, our sneaky gift exchanges are a direct sequel to the very first Christmas gifts: the offerings brought by the Magi, whom we will commemorate soon at the feast of the Ephiphany. When the three Wise Men rolled up to Bethlehem in the camel caravan, their gifts weren’t random stocking stuffers; they were a profound revelation of Jesus’ identity!
- Gold, the still-sought-after precious metal, said, “You are a King!”
- Frankincense, an incense used in the temple, said, “You are a High Priest!” and also acknowledged Jesus as God.
- Myrrh, used in embalming, said, “But, you must sacrifice your life to accomplish your mission!”
When we give a gift, even if it’s just a snack, or note, or a cozy pair of socks, we’re mimicking the Magi—offering our own small tribute to the image of the King of the Universe in that person we care for.
The absolute reason we give gifts, however, is because God gave first. I think of the celebration of Christmas as the time we receive the gift of Jesus through His birth. But there is a surprise party that starts the whole thing nine months earlier. God was with us in Mary’s womb for nine months before coming into the larger world at Christmas. So, the Feast of the Annunciation, on March 25, is our first celebration of God’s gift of Himself in Christ. The gift of this moment is so foundational for everything else in the Gospel, that the Church also invites us to commemorate the Annunciation every day of the year, in the words of the Angelus prayer.
Add in holy historical heroes—like St. Nicholas, the original “secret Santa” who slyly slipped gifts of gold coins to a family whose daughters were at risk of being sold into slavery, and we see how richly inspired our tradition of gift-giving is.
Consider, too, the adaptation of various other ancient and cultural practices that Christians have redeemed from their pagan roots, in our characteristically confidence that we can baptise anything good into the great story of divine love!
Through it all, our generosity with each other becomes more than a mere tradition. It becomes a consistent spirit of gratitude that redeems our whole lives. It is the very sanctifying spirit that molds us increasingly toward the likeness of our God, who is the ultimate Self-Giver.
And that is why our Advent Angel revelation ceremony is so awesome! Those weeks of sneaking notes, dropping off tiny treats, and (hopefully) stealthily performing acts of service are all ‘little ways’ of entering into this much larger and very holy reality.
Tonight, witnesses are called one by one to take the stand. They are given two chances to guess who their Advent Angel is. Maybe the culprit wasn’t as sneaky as he or she thought! Maybe too many clues were found and the jig is up! Their identity is guessed.
More often, however, the deeds done went unobserved, and the two accused suspects plead innocence, satisfying the jury. Then the witness unwraps a gift that is designed to be a clue. A chorus of “Oh’s” and “Wows” erupts from both the gift opener and the assembly. One final guess is cast, and whether right or wrong, the perpetrating Advent Angel reveals him or herself to thunderous applause – and often to heartfelt hugs of gratitude.
It’s a moment to cheer for the selfless and quiet love that was shown to you for weeks, just like God’s love was silently and humbly given to the whole world, wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger.
We wish you all a very blessed Advent and joyous Christmas. Thank you for the ways so many of you are gifts to this Catholic mission and to the ministries at St. Therese Institute!
James Riley has been on the St.Therese Institute mission staff since before anyone else here can remember, and he has done a little of everything in his time! He currently serves as the Deputy of Operations.