1 00:00:00,190 --> 00:00:04,080 It's the time of the year where we think a lot about giving and receiving 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:05,150 presence. 3 00:00:05,150 --> 00:00:09,440 I remember when I was a child putting my shoes out in early December for St. 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,520 Nicholas to leave a small gift in them. Just a week ago, 5 00:00:13,570 --> 00:00:16,960 we had the shopping holidays, black Friday and Cyber Monday. 6 00:00:17,420 --> 00:00:21,400 The world with some excitement right now is gearing up with lists in hand. 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,960 Everyone's scrambling to order last minute Christmas presents and postal 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:27,960 workers, UPS and Amazon delivery. 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,600 People are getting ready for their roles as Santa's big helpers. 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:34,000 Gifts make us happy. 11 00:00:34,590 --> 00:00:39,000 I remember the Christmas Eve I got on my buddy doll and the Christmas morning I 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,120 woke up to my power will's two seat battery operated Jeep. 13 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,040 Those toys brought happiness and joy to me when I was a child. 14 00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:51,920 But great as those gifts were, the joy they brought was only temporary. 15 00:00:52,150 --> 00:00:55,040 Even though I think I still have my buddy in a closet somewhere, 16 00:00:55,820 --> 00:00:59,800 I'm not much of a holiday gift giver. Maybe I'm just not organized enough. 17 00:01:00,230 --> 00:01:05,200 I've had great examples of holiday shoppers, my mom, my aunts, 18 00:01:05,270 --> 00:01:07,640 even my wife, on a budget. 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,360 They always seem to be organized and able to find gifts that fit each of us 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:13,193 perfectly. 21 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:17,960 But maybe that's because they know that while gifts bring happiness in life, 22 00:01:18,570 --> 00:01:23,120 at times the happiness comes as much to the gift giver as the gift 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:23,953 receiver. 24 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:28,800 I'm not sure if you've heard the old saying money can't buy happiness, 25 00:01:29,340 --> 00:01:31,640 but I would challenge that statement a little bit. 26 00:01:32,710 --> 00:01:36,320 I believe money can buy happiness if it's used correctly. 27 00:01:37,090 --> 00:01:39,760 It may not make us happy if we spend it on ourselves, 28 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:43,920 but when we spend it on others, it can bring great happiness, 29 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:49,200 happiness that is even longer lived than the happiness from receiving 30 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,120 a great gift like my power wills. I mean, 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:56,880 it goes without saying that the weight limit on that car I've exceeded and it 32 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,760 can't get me to and from work. As Catholics, 33 00:01:59,810 --> 00:02:04,280 we like to look for examples on how to live our lives, don't we? 34 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,480 We're blessed with many saints who show us the way with gift giving. 35 00:02:09,570 --> 00:02:11,040 We can look at St. Nicholas, 36 00:02:11,660 --> 00:02:16,600 but we can also look for examples that our father gives us in the 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:17,880 gospel according to John. 38 00:02:18,580 --> 00:02:22,080 For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son, 39 00:02:22,110 --> 00:02:25,440 that whoever believes in him shall not perish, 40 00:02:25,740 --> 00:02:27,240 but have eternal life. 41 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:32,040 God gave of himself the greatest gift we could ask for. 42 00:02:32,810 --> 00:02:35,080 We must give of ourselves too. 43 00:02:35,750 --> 00:02:40,200 Most of us have heard the phrase giving of our time, our talent, 44 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:44,440 our treasures. How do we share those gifts with others? 45 00:02:45,460 --> 00:02:49,000 How do we share them with those who are less fortunate than ourselves? 46 00:02:49,980 --> 00:02:50,840 For some years, 47 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:55,680 I participated in a coat buying project where I would get a tag and buy a coat 48 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:56,600 for a kid in need. 49 00:02:56,900 --> 00:03:00,720 The project was important and beneficial to the people in need, 50 00:03:01,420 --> 00:03:04,120 but was relatively easy for my wife and me. 51 00:03:04,590 --> 00:03:09,520 I think back to that charitable act and reflect upon the example God gave us by 52 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,640 giving us, his son did, 53 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:16,080 giving a coat from Macy's compared to that act of love that was shown to us by 54 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,760 our Heavenly Father. Of course not. 55 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,160 Maybe it would be a greater act of love if it had been my only coat, 56 00:03:23,540 --> 00:03:27,960 but it wasn't, and I'm not saying we shouldn't participate in toy drives, 57 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,080 coat drives, and angel trees. We absolutely should. 58 00:03:31,420 --> 00:03:36,360 But we must also look for the greater ways to give of the gift of ourselves to 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,840 others during this pandemic, 60 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,320 when many of us are uncertain of things we thought we were sure of before, 61 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,480 being able to spend time with our friends, to travel with our families. 62 00:03:48,410 --> 00:03:52,360 We know that many of our family members, friends, neighbors, 63 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,640 and even strangers in our communities are suffering. 64 00:03:56,070 --> 00:04:00,160 Some are suffering from a lack of money. Some are worried and scared, 65 00:04:00,470 --> 00:04:05,400 some are very lonely. None of us know how to fix all of these issues, 66 00:04:05,780 --> 00:04:07,720 but I know that we can't do it alone. 67 00:04:08,310 --> 00:04:13,160 This advent is we prepare for Christ to come into our hearts and homes as 68 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,280 we remember God sending his son to us as the greatest gift of all time. 69 00:04:17,850 --> 00:04:20,320 We must focus on giving the greatest gift. 70 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:25,280 We have a very personal gift of self to those who are 71 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:27,120 struggling this Christmas season.