Give MoreWe know what you’re thinking. “Wait, didn’t they just say I should spend less, and yet here they are telling me to give more? What gives?” The most powerful, memorable gift you can give to someone else is yourself. And nobody modeled this more than Jesus. So what does this look like for you? Tickets to a ball game or the theater? A movie night? The main point is simple: When it comes to spending time with those you love, it’s all about quality, not quantity.
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Advent Conspiracy in 1:40
Pope Francis on Giving Relationally
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[J]ust as some people want a purely spiritual Christ, without flesh and without the cross, they also want their interpersonal relationships provided by sophisticated equipment, by screens and systems which can be turned on and off on command. Meanwhile, the Gospel tells us constantly to run the risk of a face-to-face encounter with others, with their physical presence which challenges us, with their pain and their pleas, with their joy which infects us in our close and continuous interaction. True faith in the incarnate Son of God is inseparable from self-giving, from membership in the community, from service, from reconciliation with others. The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness. |
Alternative Giving Ideas
Find alternative, more relational Christmas giving ideas on the following sites:
Reflection Questions
Discuss these with family, friends, and/or in your parish community. The questions were written for children & families, but generally work for all.
Give More1. Have you ever gotten a present that showed you that the person who gave it to you didn’t know what you like? For example, it would be like if your favorite color is red, and everyone knows your favorite color is red, but someone gave you a blue hat instead of a red hat. What does that tell you about the person who gave you a blue hat?
2. Have you ever made that mistake with someone else? 3. What are some of the traditions your family does around Christmas? a. What are some of the problems that might happen if we only celebrated Christmas by giving presents? Engaging the wordJohn 1:1-14
1. What stood out to you about these verses? How does it relate to Christmas? Matthew 1:18-23 & Isaiah 7:14 2. One of God’s names is Immanuel, which means God is with us. That is God’s biggest gift to us – He is always with us! A really great idea for a present is to hang out with someone. Can you think of fun ways you could hang out with someone that would make a good Christmas present? |
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Unwrapping the Message
1. It’s pretty easy to walk into a store and buy something for someone. It’s a lot harder to think of something really special for someone – maybe even something that you don’t buy – maybe it’s something that you make! What is the hardest thing about giving a special present like this?
2. Visit the website www.rethinkingchristmas.com. This site has a lot of fun ideas for presents that you could give someone. Which one is your favorite?
2. Visit the website www.rethinkingchristmas.com. This site has a lot of fun ideas for presents that you could give someone. Which one is your favorite?
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