I believe it is essential to recognize that we have received numerous gifts from God such as little blessings each day, great miracles, and personal talents to share with the world. It is also important to celebrate life itself since it is a gift given by God.
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving, but do not give your leftovers. Give until it hurts, until you feel the pain (Saint Teresa of Calcutta).
Living as good Catholics, we receive the holy Sacraments and it is through these Sacraments God calls us to grow closer in our relationship with Him and ultimately become more like Him. Especially when we look at the Eucharist, we come to realize this truth.
The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Truly, God gives us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, and what we should feel is utmost gratitude for this gift and want to share Christ with the world. I think many of us have a tendency to ask God for plenty of things, but sometimes we forget to say a simple “thank you” to Jesus. After all, there is so much to be thankful for as God is the ultimate Gift Giver.
Furthermore, we must realize that without God we are nothing. We would actually cease to exist. We would not even be here without God. God keeps us in existence. He created us, loves us, died for us, and opened the gates of Heaven for us. He did so much for us.
Give Gifts Back to God
So it is important to give gifts back to Him. He gave us life, a soul, and a purpose. We need to give the gift of our life back to him no matter the cost. No matter if it is sacrificing our very own life as the martyrs did. On the other hand, it may be a religious vocation, married life, or single life. It is our job to discover what our purpose is: why we are here and why we are doing the things that we are doing. Who do we serve? We serve the author of life and the author of life is God.
Additionally, as good as gifts are, we must always and I mean always, look at the giver because it is from the charity of their heart and with your best interest in mind that they gave. They thought of you and their gift reflects that. When we think of when others give from the charity of their heart and when we think of when we give from the charity of our heart, think of how much more it was for God to selflessly make us, take care of us and die for us on a cross. He opened the gates of Heaven for us to share in His glory and eternal joy forever and ever. There is nothing like it. It is unfathomable His Divine Love for us. It is something to really appreciate no matter where we are in our life.
Maybe things are not going as planned in our lives right now. The pandemic is horrible still despite the vaccines. However, there is always a bright side. There is always something to be thankful for. And when we look at God as the ultimate Gift Giver who gives us life, blessings, sacraments how can we not feel eternal joy and gratitude deep within our soul. He gives us so much. What could we possibly ask for? Perhaps, to always have a thankful heart and to follow His heavenly will wholeheartedly.
Give Generously
To go deeper on the subject of giving, we should reflect on this Sacred Scripture quote Acts 20:35
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
St. Ignatius sums it up very eloquently how we should give and generally live.
Lord teach me to be generous; Teach me to serve as you deserve; To give and not count the cost; To fight and not to heed the wounds; To labor, and not ask for reward –Except to know that I am doing your will.
When we think of “to give and not count the cost” there are various ways to do so. For example, one way is to listen attentively to another without interrupting. Another way is to give a smile everywhere you go. Lastly, you can give the gift of favor. Try to do something unselfish for someone else to help them out. These are only a few simple examples, but there are many ways to give from the heart as Jesus did.
Let us keep in mind and truly pray to have a giving heart like the Sacred Heart of Jesus which burns for the love of souls.
2 thoughts on “God the Ultimate Giver of Gifts”
Thank you, Diana, for your beautiful article, “God the Ultimate Giver of Gifts”. Yesterday, on Good Shepherd Sunday, I was reflecting on how many wonderful gifts the Lord gives to His children. I was thinking of Mt 7:11, “If you…know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Jesus, our Good Shepherd, treats His humble flock with such loving care, even giving Himself in the Eucharist for His lambs to consume, as you explain so eloquently in your writing. I enjoyed reading your great points of the importance of having a grateful heart and thanking the Lord for our blessings, as well as exuding a generous spirit in our own giving. To love sacrificially is to love with one’s whole heart and soul, even to the point of martyrdom if necessary, as you state. Thank you for writing of the gifts God has given to His children, as well as for the timely reminder to offer our gifts of love to Him and others.
Thank you for your kind comment, AW! That is a good Bible quote to reflect on about God’s generous heart as you have mentioned. I love your insight. Thanks again.