The best Christmas gift ever given AND received

What was the best Christmas gift that you have ever received? Was it something that you still cherish today or is it just a memory of a Christmas from long, long ago? I know as a child growing up I received some really nice Christmas gifts that I truly enjoyed. I remember a finger paint set I got once when I was 5 years old. I had so much fun with it, too. Where is it now? I don't know. It was long gone once all the paper and paint were used. It was just temporary happiness. As all the material gifts we receive at Christmas time.

This year I received the best Christmas gift ever. It wasn't something material but something very special. Something I know I will cherish the rest of my life.

It all started a few weeks before Christmas. I was on my way home from a long day at work. I had no plans for the evening but Johnerick was in my neighborhood so we decided to have a nice dinner together at Golden Corral. It started off as a pretty normal dinner. We enjoyed our buffet, conversation, and fellowship. At the end of dinner, we both had realized that we had no cash to tip our waiter. We could have easily just eaten and run without tipping the waiter. He may or may not have noticed. But we felt bad. We had nothing to give him. Not even a penny. So we told him on his next day at work we would stop by and not only tip him for that day's service but also for this evening's service. We had vowed to come back and double tip him for his service. He was not expecting us to come back. But being a woman who is true to her word and a devout Catholic I knew I couldn't just eat and not come back. So Johnerick and I made plans to return that following Friday to give Henry (our waiter) what he deserves. So enter the following Friday. Johnerick and I had every intention of returning. And we did. Both of us with cash to properly tip Henry. When we got there we immediately asked about Henry. We were hoping he was there as he said he would. We wanted to sit in his section so that we could not only tip him for Friday's service but also Wednesday. When he saw us there he was just speechless. He wasn't expecting us to return but being people who are true their word we came back. He led us to our table and we had a nice dinner. He came up to us and talked with us a few times as a good waiter should. And out of the blue I made a suggestion I didn't know how he would take it. Being a devout Catholic (and Johnerick a devout Christian) I asked if and when Henry had a free moment I wanted to pray with him. I have never made such an offer in public before but I have felt more inclined to do things like that when I am so moved by the Spirit to do so. I wasn't sure how he'd take it or if he'd even sit with us. But a little while later Henry came and sat with us. So I bowed my head and prayed. I prayed thanking God for Henry and the service he does at work for his customers. I prayed thanking God for allowing Henry to be touched by us. I prayed for blessings for him and his family. After we were done praying, Henry again was speechless. He told us that twice in the same night was he rendered speechless by us. He said never before has he had someone offer to pray for him. He said the prayer was so beautiful. He was so touched. He even told us that a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I knew we had done a good deed. I told Henry to pass it on. To share it with others. I know that even if he didn't even if it was just for that one night Henry was a changed man. We opened his eyes to a new experience. Johnerick and I walked out of there changed forever. We knew we had made a difference in his life.

How amazing God used us at that moment to minister to Henry. How amazing that God allowed us to touch Henry on that day. This was and is the best Christmas present ever given AND received. Not only did Henry receive monetary tips but also spiritual ones. I am lucky to have had this experience.

I hope that you too can make the difference in some one's life. It can change the hearts of many.

God bless you this Christmas season and always.

The true meaning of Christmas

How sad that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. We get so bogged down with shopping and finding that right gift for that special someone that we often forget what Christmas is truly about. We forget the reason we even celebrate Christmas. Christmas has become such a secular holiday that we have already forgotten the religious reasons we celebrate Christmas. Christmas has become so much about decorations and all things secular that we forget why we REALLY celebrate Christmas? Do you know what Christmas is about? Do you remember why we REALLY celebrate Christmas? Is Christmas just about Santa Claus and getting that right gift from that special someone or for that special someone? Not at all. Christmas is about one thing and one thing only and that is the birth of our Lord Christ Jesus. I have in the past given into to all the hype and spent an excessive amount of money trying to find the right gift if not giftS for everyone in the family. And now I am reminded again this year since I had no money to really give gifts that Christmas is NOT about having the right gift under the tree but about celebrating the birth of our Lord. On this day, Christ was born. On this day, a Savior came into this world to save us from Satan's power. On this day, God became man so that we may never die but live eternally. Today at Mass I was reminded of how special today is. Not because we get gifts but because have already received the greatest gift of all and that is God's only Son Jesus Christ. What more can we want if we have Christ Jesus in our lives? What more can we ask for? Is that perfect gift going to be there in the end? Only God will be there. Let us be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas this holiday season. Let us remember that Christ came on this day to save us.

Bible reading to share: My favorite story of Christmas can be found in the Gospel of Luke. It is the story of Mary and Joseph traveling through Bethlehem when it came time for Jesus to be born. It tells how he was born in a manager. It talks about Jesus' humble beginnings in a manager because there was no room in the inn. Read it for yourself and be reminded why we celebrate this day. Luke 2: 1-14

Readings for First Sunday of Advent

First Reading: Isaiah 63: 16b-17; 19b; 64: 2-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80: 2-3; 15-16; 18-19
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9
Gospel: Mark 13: 33-37

Notes taken from Homily at St Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Sunday, November 30

First Reading: We were wandering about without focus. God come down from heaven and save us. We need to have the attitude to allow God to form and shape us into something beautiful and useful. We give God permission to mold us. "We are the clay and you are the potter: We are the work of your hands"

Second Reading: This talks about how God's graces work in us the community of faith. We look forward to God's graces working in us as a community.

Gospel: Be watchful and be alert. There are diversions that take us away from God that make it hard to examine our conscience and pray our conscience and pray. Be watchful and slow down. Do less and not more to be more attentive to the works of Jesus Christ. Be a person of prayer. Be watchful, alert, and centered on the Lord.

How can we be more watchful? This is the challenge for the Advent season. Let us be more watchful as we wait for the birth of Jesus Christ.