Gratitude

Still on the topic of gifts, don't know why it keeps popping out everywhere. First when at evening mass at IHM, I heard the last line of the second reading

how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

Rom 5:15

And Yes, Jesus Christ is really God's greatest gift to us all. Everything else we have pales in comparison with our Lord and Saviour. And then I read the "Dear Padre" column in the bulletin. This guy preferred to give than to receive, and the question was "Is it more blessed to give?"

The Padre's answer was that receiving gifts is sometimes harder than giving. Sometimes we feel unworthy or paiseh to receive. Not so much because of the gift, but the love behind the gift. And that is one of the reasons we find it so hard to accept God's gifts to us, because we don't see ourselves worthy of His love. We can't believe that the Father will forgive us, that Christ could die for us, and that He trusts us to carry on His mission empowered by Holy Spirit.

I remember Celine mentioning something she learnt about receiving... It requires humility. And in addition, we need to receive the gifts with gratitude. Gratitude that acknowledges the love that is behind the gift and treasures it with respect. Which is why I found this Calvin and Hobbes strip in Friday's New Paper particularly apt.

"When you have something you take it for granted and its boring." That's so human...to forget and take for granted the gifts. That's why we have to really be grateful for the wonderful gifts that our amazing Lord gives us.