My sister
has been asking me what I want for Christmas- which I think is a popular
question this time of year; thus, I decided I would write a fun post about ten great gifts for Catholics. As people
of faith we tend to focus on the real reason for the season, we speak about a
time of waiting of preparedness for the birth of Christ in our hearts and I
really think it’s important to be reminded of the true holiday Spirit. While Christmas is filled with consumerism, material
gifts are special too. Look at the
process behind the gift. The giver
thinks “what will my recipient enjoy,” then spends time searching through
possible ideas until finding the right item.
After purchasing the item she goes home and selects a snowman covered wrapping paper and wraps it carefully adding a bow.
It makes her smile thinking of the possible reaction the recipient will
have. It’s a labor of love,
thoughtfulness and time. Thus, material
gifts can be very special too. Below is
a list of ten items that I think any Catholic would love.
Last Testament: In His Own Words- the latest
from Pope Benedict is sure to delight any Catholic nerd. It’s written in a Q&A format, Peter
Seewald interviews our Pope asking great questions and the answers provide a
rather intimate look into the life of the man that has contributed so much
wisdom to our church. Some say it’s the
nearest to an autobiography (smile).
Adult Coloring Book: The new trend to captivate the
masses are coloring books for adults! For those of us who love art, but have a
very limited ability to create - coloring books are a must. There’s an array of styles, the ones that I
found most interesting are Christian ones.
I found and immediately order myself one that is a journal and a
coloring book- I mean seriously that is the most perfect idea! Color, write
and reflect (smile).
Sunday Missal- This came as a request from my mom (since we switch between English and Spanish
services) my mom asked me to buy her a Sunday Missal (in Spanish) so that she
can always know what’s going on during Mass.
This is a great gift for anyone during this time of year because
we just began a new liturgical year and we can all benefit from having a guide
to help us better focus during worship.
Tickets to a retreat, conference or an event- For those who seem to have it all,
why not give them a gift to share an evening or weekend together. Sometimes friends won’t attend retreats
because they are too expensive so treat them to one. My love language is quality time so these
gifts are awesome.
Religious Order Products- Religious orders sell many
handmade items to support themselves: chocolate, coffee, beer, rosaries, icons… For the dog lover New Skete Monasteries have a unique selection of items- even dog biscuits!
I love their story- because they are Catholic dog whispers, check them
out.
“The Pivotal Players”- Bishop Barron produced a beautiful
multi-part film series on a handful of saints, artists, mystics and
scholars. He released the first part of
the series just in time for the holidays.
The videos are exceptional- not only in content but the images captured
are excellent.
A Subscription to Pius Media- This is like the Netflix for
Catholics! It’s an online video rental with hundreds of Catholic movies to
choose from. It has all types of
educational DVD’s, great children and family selections and (my favorite) tons
of movies on the lives of the saints.
A Planner- Even though smart phones have calendars –
visual people (like myself) must have a planner to write and use our fancy
pens. I found this Saint’s Calendar at a
conference earlier this year and its super neat. Every week it has a brief bio on a Saint and
the days are highlighted with Catholic Feast Days.
Shining Light Dolls- I love the cute saint dolls that Shinning
Light Dolls organization makes. I think
they are kid friendly- but as an adult I can see myself collecting them!
Mass offered for his/her Intentions- You can go to your parish and
request a Mass date and on that day the special intentions will be in the
person’s honor. I have a friend who
loves to offer Mass for my birthday and I think that is one of the sweetest
gifts ever.
Hope this
list helps with your Christmas giving.
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