“Please accept a gift from your servant.” Gifts are such an interesting concept. At times to the giver, at times to the receiver. A gift in its purest sense is given out of love with no other intention but to share joy, happiness, a thank you, a gratitude or simply just to say I love you with no other intention attached. True gifts, in the most spiritual sense of the word, are freely given and meant to be freely received. A gift forced or obliged cannot therefore be considered or classified as a gift since there is a certain debt that must be paid for, returned, or reciprocated. If one must read fine print in order to enjoy the special gift or one has to do something within a certain time period to obtain it or a person must sit through hours of presentations, lectures or tours to receive it, then it no longer is a gift but a burden, a chore, and a lack of joy that must be patiently endure and there is no gift in that. If strings are attached and certain conditions must be met, then it is no longer freely given and a gift it can no longer be. God is amazing. The greatest gift giver ever known. His gifts are freely given and should be freely received. You are free to reject them, toss them to the side, regift them or never open to see what is inside. No strings attached. You do not even have to say thank you but saying thank you to God is a gift of itself. The ability to say thank you even when one offends you is a lifesaving, peace giving remedy. The kind of gifts only God can share and give. Everlasting life, eternal glory, perpetual light, unending happiness, unconditional love, forever forgiveness, everlasting peace. Who would not want to open those gifts immediately and thank the giver profusely from the heart? The Lord’s gifts are true gifts from the heart. Eucharistic Sacraments that give life, scripture and prayer that sustain it, compassion and forgiveness that retain it, Savior and Spirit that renew it and a loving Father that restores live to its formal glory and a Holy Family and risen humanity to share it along with Holy Angels and Saints to partake in it with. God’s gifts are broken and shared, tasted and seen, offered, and shared, given and received. Our Lord came to serve God’s tender love and mercy. So please freely give and receive these gracious gifts from above.
