Praise be Jesus Christ! Praise be His most holy and venerable name! Praise God who was, is, and ever will be! He is good; He is mighty. He is merciful; He is loving. He exacts perfect justice, and grants us with every gift we need to be with Him in heaven some day!
Thank You, God, for all Your gifts! You present us with what we need, and, at times, delight us with niceties and not just necessities! Your gifts include Your Son, Our Lord, Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sacraments, Sanctifying and Sacramental Grace, our very life, breath, sustenance, and, well, everything!
Forgive us, Lord, for the gifts we outright reject. Forgive us, Lord, for the ones we accept and never open! Forgive us, Lord, for the ones we open and never use! Forgive us, Lord, for the gifts we open and use but do not share. Forgive us, Lord, for forgetting to turn to You in thanksgiving after receiving such bountiful gifts!
Christmas season is quickly approaching, and many of us will spend a small portion of our morning watching our loved ones open presents. We at least see ads depicting young ones running excitedly to a tree and open a gift with so much anticipated joy that it is contagious. Last Christmas, after our family gift exchange, which is very small and simple, I reminded my youngest that Christmas is not really about the gifts. Then, BAM! POW! The Holy Spirit showed up, and I had to correct myself!
My daughter’s facial reaction to my comment about gifts was priceless, but it made me think twice. If Christmas is not really about the gifts, then why do we even do it? That is what her look spoke to me, and it is a very valid question. I guess you can say that the Holy Spirit did not descend upon me as a tongue of fire, but a questioning look from an 11 year old! That look prompted me to ponder why gifts are such a part of this season. God spoke to my heart, and I pray I can communicate what He shared with me.
Through my pondering, I seemed to understand that gift giving is a reflection of all that God the Father has given us. Just like the Church uses physical things to represent spiritual realities, He can use traditions and customs to represent them too! God gives us EVERYTHING! He does not wrap them and place them under a tree, but if only we could hold that image each and every day, we could experience that joy we see displayed on Christmas morning in our daily lives! Christ himself is a gift to us from our Heavenly Father. His Blessed Mother, Mother Church, the Sacraments – they are all gifts to us. The gifts I appreciate the most during trials are His Peace and Hope! The list of gifts we receive are inexhaustible!
I have told my children in the past that our vocation as parents is to reflect God – the way He loves and provides, and the way He leads and guides. I also remind them that we are imperfect fallen beings living in a fallen world, so our reflection is not always clear nor close to perfect. They have heard more than once how happy I am that they have a perfect Heavenly Father who even gave them a most Blessed Mother because their earthly parents are not! So I believe my 11 year old understood how our gift giving is a reflection, not a perfection!
After Christmas morning, we often still have gifts under the tree, waiting to give to relatives that we will see throughout the rest of the season. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked if there are any gifts that I forgot to give those who live here. I bet we have all experienced those questions. Our children do not want to leave any gift unopened or abandoned – neither do I!
That prompted me to wonder if God has any gifts for me that I have left unopened or abandoned? Would that not be so sad? Maybe we have people in our lives who have been given gifts that they have rejected, abandoned, or left unopened – gifts of Faith, Hope, Love, Peace, Mercy, Forgiveness. Maybe we are those people! I think about the times in my own life that I have told God I was not ready to open a gift, or that maybe I would open it, but just let it sit unused while I attempted to find the “perfect” time or place for it. How I robbed Him of seeing the joy and excitement that I have seen on my children’s faces when they open presents from me! My God, I am so sorry!
I pray that our Christmas season is spent accepting, opening, and using all the gifts God is sending our way! Maybe I need to pray that we have the grace to recognize the gifts! I know I forget that every breath is a gift; every time the dishwasher works is a gift; every pair of socks, every faucet that runs, every car that starts, every ache and pain, every heartbreak, every tear, every laugh… EVERYTHING is a gift! I pray that we will remember to thank the gift giver!
Have a most blessed Christmas season, and do not forget to share how God is working in your life! That sharing is a gift we all need!
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
