{"id":43274,"date":"2014-01-04T18:54:47","date_gmt":"2014-01-05T00:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=43274"},"modified":"2014-01-04T18:54:47","modified_gmt":"2014-01-05T00:54:47","slug":"giver-gift-new-years-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/01\/giver-gift-new-years-resolution\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giver and the Gift: A New Year’s Resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"104239709\"<\/a>Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights\u00a0<\/em>– James 1:17<\/p>\n

A little over 40 years ago, my mom taught me a lesson that I will never forget: The giver of a gift is always more important than the gift itself. \u00a0I believe that it was either my 5th or 6th birthday. \u00a0All my friends showed up with their gifts and their parents. \u00a0The cake was there as well as the games. \u00a0It was perfect except for the fact that one of my friends was convinced that his gift would be my favorite. \u00a0As I remember it, he wouldn’t stop. \u00a0Over and over, he told me that I was going to love his gift. \u00a0Before the time for opening came, I had already decided that I would hate the gift and that I would let him and everyone in the room know that I hated it.<\/p>\n

I do not remember what his gift was, but I do remember what happened after I opened it. \u00a0I told him that I didn’t like it. \u00a0My mother, I’m sure utterly ashamed, calmly tried to correct me, asking me to reconsider how I responded. \u00a0I rejected her promptings and continued with my rudeness. \u00a0 After exhausting my mother’s patience and with my friend now crying uncontrollably, my mother announced in an extremely calm voice that the party was over. \u00a0After thanking them for their kindness and generosity, she asked all in attendance to please forgive me, to take some cake, and to leave \u2026.. with their presents. \u00a0That’s right. \u00a0On that birthday, I received no gifts – at least no gifts that a 5 year old would usually expect to receive.<\/p>\n

Please understand my mother was the kindest, most generous and forgiving person I ever have known, but on that day she gave me a gift that remains ingrained in me. \u00a0One that I actually still remember. \u00a0 Thinking back, I’ve forgotten most of the gifts that I ever received on most of my birthdays. \u00a0This one, the one I learned that day, I still remember. \u00a0Mom taught me that persons are more important than things, givers are more precious than gifts. \u00a0During this time of gift giving when we remember the greatest Gift ever given, we should remind ourselves (I know I need to remind myself) of this simple yet profound lesson that even a 5 year old can understand (and a 49 year old can still remember). \u00a0 All too frequently gifts become more appreciated than the givers.<\/p>\n

As Catholics, we have been given many gifts – our Mother and our Lady – the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’ Bride and our Mother – the Church, the Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, truth and grace, forgiveness and reconciliation, a participation in God’s Divine Life, our own lives, the lives of our loved ones, etc.. \u00a0The list really is without end. \u00a0Frequently, though, I forget the fact that all these gifts come from the Father of lights, our Father “who art in heaven”.<\/p>\n

This reality brings me back to the lesson mother taught me so many years ago. \u00a0It also reminds me of the call we, as parents, have received from God Himself – to participate fully, consciously, and actively in the mystery of parenthood. \u00a0The mystery of parenthood begins with a sacramental understanding of marriage, of parenthood, of motherhood, of fatherhood. \u00a0We are called to be visible signs of the invisible God to our children, to this world. \u00a0It ends with living that understanding out in concrete situations in our lives.<\/p>\n

As a father, I have been called to be a sign of\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0Father in heaven,\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>Giver of all good gifts. \u00a0Today, I stand convicted. \u00a0Have I been that sign? \u00a0Through me, can my children catch even a glimpse of the Father of lights? \u00a0As a child of God, do I remember that my wife, my children, my parents and grandparents, my job, my home, my everything are all gifts and, to varying degrees, precious? \u00a0Even more, do I remember that God is their Giver? \u00a0Do I act as if I truly remember and believe what my mother taught me so many years ago about gifts and their givers? \u00a0All the gifts are indeed precious, but the Giver of those gifts is even more precious. \u00a0Do I love Him “with all of my heart, with all my soul, with all mind, and with all strength” (Mark 12:30)? \u00a0I believe I have discovered my New Year’s Resolution. \u00a0I have some serious work to do. \u00a0Please pray for me. \u00a0I’ll be praying for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights\u00a0– James 1:17 A little over 40 years ago, my mom taught me a lesson that I will never forget: The giver of a gift is always more important than the gift itself. \u00a0I believe that it was either… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,671],"tags":[55,51,127,50,2890,193,81,720,165],"class_list":["post-43274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-acnm","category-column","tag-catholic-2","tag-catholicism","tag-children","tag-faith","tag-family","tag-love","tag-marriage","tag-parenthood","tag-parenting","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t