“Lately, instead of giving actual gifts, many people are sending checks. The reasons cited are that it’s easier and that the recipient can pick out the exact gift he or she wants. While it is easier and you can pick out exactly what you want, something vital is lost when gift giving is reduced to monetary exchange.
St. Laurence Giustiniani understood the significance of giving actual goods, not just money. He willingly gave food and clothing to all who asked but was reluctant to hand out money because he knew cash has a way of evaporating into the wrong things.
How do you feel when you get a gift you know was chosen just for you?
St. Laurence Giustiniani (1381-1455) in 365 Saints: Your Daily Guide to the Wisdom and Wonder of their Lives by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1995), September 5 reading.