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Wednesday
of 2nd Week of Easter
The
Institute
April
6, 8:31am
SHOPPING FOR A GIFT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø Two weeks ago I wanted to celebrate
the 75 birthday of a special friend
Ø I went over to the Mall to buy an
appropriate gift, something to truly mark the occasion
Ø I got into this dialogue with myself: “What does he need? What would he like? What
would mark the occasion as special?” And on and on it went
Ø After an hour’s browsing, I left the mall
w/ nothing
Ø In the end, I decided to invite two of
his old friends over for an overnight this past weekend
Ø Saturday afternoon we leisurely hiked
along the Susquehanna River, came back to my house to freshen up & then
went 2 an upscale restaurant 4 dinner
Ø We spent the rest of the evening
reminiscing
THE BEST GIFT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø Reflecting on what is the best gift we
can give someone, I realized it is the gift of yourself
Ø Someone who cares for you, spending time,
listening, celebrating presence — are all the components of what really matters
to us
Ø When it comes to appropriate gifts,
they are the gifts that make a difference and help us to flourish
JESUS THE PERFECT GIFT +++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø This is precisely the gift God gives
us
Ø In John the Evangelist’s words: “God so loved the world that he gave us his
only Son”
Ø True, God gives us all of creation,
but above all these things, God gives
us a living, breathing, always present companion and friend, Jesus himself
Ø And the second half of that oft-quoted
passage is, “So that everyone who believes in him might
not perish, but might have eternal life”
Ø Talk about a gift that can make a
difference!
CONCLUSION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø God wasn’t ever in the same quandary I
was in at the mall in asking what gift would make a difference…
Ø And in the end realizing it would only
be the gift of my presence
Ø In this Gospel, God had already
answered what THE gift would be and what
a DIFFERENCE it would make
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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