The Best Gift Giver

An Everyday Stewardship Reflection for Second Sunday of Advent 2016

My youngest child is going through Confirmation preparation this year. It is always quite a challenge to get through to a teenager about the importance of the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. You can’t see and touch these things, but they are more valuable that most tangible gifts we can receive.

Isaiah 11 features the list of the traditional gifts of the Spirit that we speak about in the context of the sacrament: wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are freely given to us to assist us in our daily walk with God. Discipleship and stewardship are hard enough in this world without the help from God’s Spirit.

During this Advent season, we think quite a bit about gifts and gift giving. What is the perfect gift for that special someone? What can you give them that will have an impact and they will remember for years to come? Over two thousand years ago, a gift was given to us in a manger that really made a lasting impact. That gift remains with us in a profound way through the sacraments. While we are busy trying to get gifts for others, let us be mindful of the gifts we have already received by the best gift giver the world has ever seen.