As
the saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts” when it comes to giving out
gifts. Right?! However, have you ever received a gift from
your partner that made you want to say, “Seriously, what were you thinking?”
With
Christmas a few days away and only a few opportunities left to go out and get
something nice for your loved ones, I thought this would be a good time to
discuss the 10 worst gifts a man can get his partner:
#10 Nothing.
It doesn’t matter if she told you she
wanted nothing, this is code talk for, “We’ve been together long enough, you should
be able to figure out what I would like for Christmas
#9 Cash. Often my wife gives me a list, but then I
catch her buying the these same things on my list for her. It makes sense just to give her a card with
cash so she can get whatever she wants.
#8 Home
Depot Gift Card. While there are
some women who would love a HD Gift Card, the norm would suggest a question like;
“who are you getting the gift for anyway?”
#7 Framed
Picture of Yourself. This might
smack a bit to narcissistic for her.
Now
the next 5 items might also beg the question, “What are you trying to say?”
#6 Cooking Stuff.
#5 Gym Membership
#4 Weight Loss Plan/Book
#3 Weight Watchers Scale
#2 Personal Hygiene Supplies (i.e. wrinkle
remover)
And
the #1 worst gift a man can get his partner for Christmas is a vacuum cleaner.
There
is no doubt this may have just made someone’s last minute Christmas rush to
find just the right gift a little more stressful. As we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent
it is human nature to be focused on the “presents”—the gifts of Christmas. Yet the Church, in her infinite wisdom, gives
us a gospel to ponder and pray over that will grab our attention away from the
shopping and remind us that indeed it is our “presence” that is much more
important than the “presents” we will give and receive.
Mary’s
visitation is not about her own pregnancy but rather reaching out to others, in
this case her cousin, Elizabeth. Let’s
put Mary’s gift of “presence” into perspective.
It really is a well thought out gift!
Mary knows her cousin, in her advanced age, is 6 months pregnant home
with her husband who is also advanced in years and mute. Mary knows Elizabeth won’t be able to go to
the market, to draw water, or look after the crops. Keep in mind: this is not a walk around the
block for Mary! It is a 78 mile trek, by
foot and donkey by a pregnant 14 year old.
There is no mention in scripture of housewarming gifts in tow, food
platers or wrapped baby gifts. Rather,
Mary filled with the divine presence gives Elizabeth the gift of her
“presence”. Her gift acknowledged first
by a joyous leap of John the Baptist in his mother’s womb. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the
infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried
out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is
the fruit of your womb. And how does
this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:41-42) Mary’s present of presence is an unexpected
gift for Elizabeth.
It
is interesting to note the importance given to this meeting, as it is the only
time in the New Testament that there is a dialogue recorded between two
women. This would be a good biblical
trivial pursuit question at your Christmas family gathering.
In
a few days we will celebrate the birth of Mary’s child: Jesus, the Son of God,
the Son of Mary, born fully human and fully divine. Our Christmas present is the perfect presence
of the Christ Child.
For
the men out there, that may have to rethink their gifts, it’s easy to go online
and order a present, or drop by the mall and pick up a gift—but the gift of
ourselves, to make time to be with another, that’s a gift that many people long
for but do not receive at Christmas. As
I write this I’m thinking of people in nursing homes, hospitals, jails and the
homeless that may be experiencing Christmas as another normal day of being
rousted to move on. In my opinion, there
is no greater gift that we can give than ourselves, our presence, our
time. How do we find the courage and the
strength to do this?
The
answer lies in the reason we are gathered around the Eucharistic table. We come to this table with all our joys and
sorrows to be nourished by the greatest gift Jesus gave us—his physical
presence, his body and blood.[1]
The
present of presence is so powerful that people, who do not regularly practice
their faith, will make their annual pilgrimage with family to be in community
with us and pack local churches. While this
may create a parking lot nightmare and you may not get to sit in your
self-designated pew. Please do not ask
them to get out of your seat! Try a
different approach, introduce yourself, welcome them, and find another seat on
this special day, because these pilgrims are there to satisfy their hunger and
thirst for this the greatest present the world has ever received, His holy and
perfect presence.
In
this Jubilee Year of Mercy your present of presence can begin with your prayers
of mercy for the 5 people you choose as part of Project 5. To learn about Project 5 follow this youtube
link: http://youtu.be/_6FzWrNFLgM
No comments:
Post a Comment