gift lists
"The gift you have received, give as a gift." —Matthew 10:8
One of the most famous (or infamous) Christmas songs is "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." Sadly, if that's all you want, that may be all you'll get. I don't know about you, but I want a lot more than some teeth:
- I want the sick cured, the dead raised, the leprous healed, and demons expelled (Mt 10:8).
- I want workers for the harvest (Mt 9:38) and the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10).
- I want a deep, totally committed relationship with Jesus, not only for me but also for every member of my family, my friends, and all of you.
- I want the baptism in the Spirit, the "streams of running water" (Is 30:25), for every believer in the world.
- I want world evangelism, repentance, conversion, sanctification, and healing.
- I want an end to war, starvation, abortion, racism, and injustice.
- I want Jesus' second coming, the end of the world, and "new heavens and a new earth" (Rv 21:1).
- I want to see Jesus face to face (1 Cor 13:12).
That's what I want for Christmas. And my heavenly Father says: "Is that all?"
Prayer: Father, I'm sorry for asking and expecting too little of You this Christmas. During this Advent, may I come to believe in Your love (Eph 3:20).
Promise: "He will give rain for the seed that you sow in the ground, and the wheat that the soil produces will be rich and abundant." —Is 30:23
Praise: St. Francis worked tirelessly and at the cost of great suffering to bring Jesus to the people of the East Indies.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 19, 2005
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