We all know someone who is a gift giver, and someone who is a superb gift giver. Christmas time really separates the gift givers from the superb gift givers. Have you ever given someone a gift that they have asked for? I don’t just mean a $50 gift card to Amazon. I’m talking about a gift that someone has been wanting for a while. They have done the research, pictured when/how they would care for it or use it to its fullest potential. Or maybe they have talked about something they couldn’t justify spending the money on. Oh! The joy on their faces when they open that perfect gift! It makes me feel like a rockstar.
When the question first came to me, “What would the Lord like from you as a present this year?” I immediately thought, “Well, all of me, right? Isn’t that the call of a Christian?”
I spent some more time with it and yes, that is certainly what God wants – for me to give myself totally and freely to Him. Statistically speaking, I won’t be St. Paul, knocked to the ground and hearing the voice of God tell me what to do with explicit instructions (Acts 9). More likely, I will need to chip away at my heart made of stone, asking for the graces and working toward the virtues.
So, what does God want from me as a present – right now. What is something that I can give Him?
In prayer, I perceived to hear Him say, “What about Sundays?”
Worship – regular and outward praise and worship. A day that exists solely for its own sake of adoring God. A full day in which I am intentionally unproductive by means of my earthly existence – not to “produce” or “accomplish” any to-do lists or trying to “get ahead” for anything material. Sunday. Mass. The Eucharist. Could I give God ALL of Sunday?
In a document titled, “The Gift of Sunday” produced by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Fr. Nathan Reesman writes, “A believer lives the good news of Sunday by deliberately limiting activities or routines that resemble too closely the pattern of the rest of the week, even if those weekday activities are good.” He goes on to say, “Obligation arises out of love that unites persons in relationship… Sunday is the day of obligation and worship because it is the day of rediscovery of love, by us the creatures, for God our creator who has blessed us so abundantly.”
The early Christian martyrs went to their death knowing life was not worth living if they could not celebrate the Lord’s day. Each Sunday was understood as a “little Easter.” It seems disordered that I am unwilling to give my chores and work to-do list a break for 24 hours, while the martyrs gave their lives to celebrate and participate in the Mass in the catacombs. Unable to sing loudly with love and joy in their voice because they did not want to be given away. Unable to proclaim the love and plan that God has for them without repercussions. They gave their lives for Christ. Can I give Sunday?
Here are some things I do with my family to keep Sunday totally for God:
- Go to Mass as a family. On the car ride to Mass, ask each person who or what they are going to pray for at Mass.
- We have Mass Bag toys that can only be read or played with on Sundays, and they are all religious in nature.
- We read stories from our Children’s Bible after nap time and try to say at least 1 decade of the Rosary.
- No laundry (unless necessary, such as cloth diapers or forgotten uniform items needed for Monday.)
- No shopping (grocery or online!) This does mean no donuts after Mass, so we have pivoted to a different treat at home, such as bacon or brownies.
Here are some more things that I would like to implement on Sundays:
- Pick a saint to have dinner with that night. I have big prayer cards from Catholic Family Crate that share a little bio on the back about the saint and their feast day. We have a picture frame to put them in and sit them at the head of the table. We have tried to do that every night and it will be good for a few days, then fall off track for a few weeks… Hoping that by making it a Sunday only thing we will get better at it!
- Honor the Blessed Mother by thanking a spiritual mother (phone call or written letter), or saying or writing an extra Marian prayer.
Join me in giving the gift of Sundays back to the Lord, who is indeed the best gift giver! Let us start chipping our hearts away to be fully, entirely His!
