Well, after shopping for six hours on Black Friday, we were standing in the back of Pottery Barn and I shouted out “there HE is!” we found Him.  After shopping the entire day, my mom, sister and I gathered around a simple nativity scene made out of small sticks.  This was the first religious item that we had found the entire day!  I called over the sales lady and told of our quest, and how this was our first real sign of Christmas, especially since for many of us our day began before 5:30 am.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it states, “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” This scripture felt true when we were standing in the back of a high-end store at the mall and found the first real sign of Christmas!  It is amazing how secular this important holiday has become!  Gift giving is one way in our culture that we choose to show our love and gratitude for others.  Just think, our love for the Christ Child has inspired us to think of others and surprise others with gifts and gestures that go beyond ordinary interactions.  Our greatest obstacle is not to get caught up in materialism and secularism, but rather focus on finding gifts that reflect our Christian beliefs, such as modest clothing and appropriate toys and games for those that we would like to buy for.  Some of the greatest gifts might even be handing down wisdom and family items from one generation to the next! May we all seek out our Lord during this Advent Season and thank him for the gift of our Catholic Faith. 


Let us pray:  Dear Jesus, help us to keep a holy perspective on the holiday shopping and preparations for Christmas.  Amen.