What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:3b-5)
December 23, 2025
Hello Everyone –
Merry Christmas (almost)!!! And blessings to you at the Lord’s birth.
Memories and stories in so many ways form the heart of the Christmas feast. The following recounting is taken from the newspaper columnist Mike Royko — from his Christmas column in 1985. Perhaps you may have heard or read the story.
It’s the story about a friend of Royko who — some 30 years earlier — had worked in a Christmas tree lot — and about the young couple who happened in on Christmas Eve about a half an hour before the lot was to close. By this point, the lot contained no more than maybe two dozen Christmas trees — and most of them weren’t much to look at. It only makes sense by the time Christmas rolls around. The good ones have been sold, leaving only the ones that are far less than perfect and desirable.
Well, Royko’s friend was standing by a kerosene heater warming himself when a young couple appeared and began looking through the trees. The man didn’t know them by name, but he recognized the couple as living down the street in the garden apartment of one of the dumpier buildings in the neighborhood. The young man was skinny — not much to look at. His wife was kind of pretty, but they were both wearing clothes that looked like they came out of the bottom bin at the Salvation Army store. It was colder than cold — and neither of them had gloves or winter boots. It was easy to see that they had fallen on hard times. But that didn’t stop them from sifting through the trees.
Finally, they found one that looked halfway presentable and they asked the salesman for the price. “That one will be $ 25.” They didn’t say anything — they just put it back. They resumed their search and eventually found another modest looking tree — again the cost was more than they could afford. The process continued until they had gone through most of the trees left on the lot. Eventually, they thanked Royko’s friend and quietly walked off. But they paused on the sidewalk — and the woman whispered something to her husband — he shrugged his shoulders — and they returned to the lot. The salesman was sure they had decided on one of the good trees after all.
But they walked over to one of the most pathetic looking trees on the lot — it was a Scotch pine which was missing half the branches on one side. The couple inquired about the cost, and they were told that they could have it for $2. They then chose another tree almost as bad off and were told that they could have it for the same price.
The wife again whispered to her husband, and he inquired of the salesman about the possibility of having both trees for $3. The salesman was negotiable since neither tree amounted to much. But, being a good salesman, Royko’s friend tried again to convince them to purchase a nicer tree. No, it was clear that the woman had a plan. With that, they took the two trees and departed.
Well, the next evening, Royko’s friend happened to walk past the young couple’s building and as he did he looked down at the window of their garden apartment. There he saw a tree beautifully decorated — at least as much as he could see from that vantage point. Well, his curiosity got the best of him and since their lights were on, he stopped to visit. The salesman knocked on their door and when they opened it, the couple recognized him and welcomed him in. He confessed his curiosity about the trees.
The couple took him into the next room and what he saw there took his breath away. Standing before him was without a doubt the most beautiful Christmas tree he had ever seen in his 27 years of selling Christmas trees. It was so thick — like a bush — he couldn’t even see the trunk. It was perfect in every way.
The young woman then shared the idea she first had when she and her husband were standing on the sidewalk outside the tree lot. Imagine if you take two trees and work their trunks close together so that they touch in the place where the branches are thin. Then tie the two trunks together with wire. When the branches overlap, it is not possible to see the two trunks or the wire. Truly, the resulting creation is a thing of beauty.
A simple story taken from life — and yet something more. You see, the young woman’s idea reflects the core truth that we celebrate again on the great feast of Christmas. Her idea is not entirely different than the one God had in mind.
God sent his Son — joining our human nature to his divine nature — so that a new creation might result from the union of the two. It is God’s great love that joins heaven to earth — divinity to humanity — wholeness and grace to that which had lost it.
May your heart come to know the true depth of God’s love for you.
Merry Christmas!!
As I do for you, please pray for me,
Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee
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