WHAT MAKES A GIFT A GIFT?

 

WHAT MAKES A GIFT A GIFT? 

Jesus was very observant. He spotted that poor widow whom nobody noticed.  She was a nobody. But for Jesus, everybody counts, especially those whom the  majority ignores and pushes aside. She had two small coins and gave both.  And Jesus praises her and values her very small, insignificant gift more than  the offerings of the rich. He directs our attention to what determines the value  of any gift. 

There is, first of all, the spirit in which the gift is given. When we give with  a grudge, that’s not the right spirit. Such an attitude devalues the gift. When  we give for the sake of prestige, again such a gift loses much of its value. What  then is the right spirit? Look at the widow. She gave, perfectly knowing that  nobody would see her, except God, and she gave everything because she could  not help it. She must have experienced the goodness of God to her so many  times that she just could not help but give everything she had. 

There is another lesson Jesus gives us about gifts. In giving real gifts, sacrifice  must be involved. The rich threw their money into the collection boxes and  Jesus realized that they had calculated how much they could afford without  feeling the loss. The widow showed a reckless generosity; she gave everything  and would now rely totally on God’s providence. We might not have to go that  far when we select and buy gifts for Christmas, but just recycling fruit cakes  certainly does not include the aspect of sacrifice and does not make the gift  valuable at all. 

Far more important is what we give to God. He gave us everything. He  “emptied Himself and became man,” Saint Paul wrote. What do I give in return?  We are often stingy. We bargain, find excuses to avoid tithing.  

God meets us every day in the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. There,  we are offered opportunities to show our gratitude and give God what is His— seen only by Him. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

To whom do you plan to give a gift this Christmas? Why do you plan to give it?  Do you have the right motive and attitude? 

 

Lord, bless me and help me to be more generous—to give and not to count the cost. Amen.

 

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________________________