Archives by: Gary Hoag

What if I told you, you have the power,
To give someone hope beyond their wildest dreams.
What if I told you, it’s right there in your hands, in your hands. 

It’s hard to imagine, how something so small,
Can make all the difference, tear down the tallest wall.
What if December looked different this year?
What if we all just…

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart, don’t let it stay there.
Give this Christmas away and your life will be changed.
By the gifts you receive when you give this Christmas away.

It’s feeding the hungry, serving the poor.
It’s telling the orphan you’re not forgotten anymore.
It’s doing what love does even when no one’s watching you.

Give this Christmas away.
If there’s love in your heart, don’t let it stay there.
Give this Christmas away and your life will be changed.
By the gifts you receive when you give this Christmas away.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son
So we could be His hands, His feet, His love, His love.

What if I told you, you have the power,
To give someone hope far beyond their wildest dreams
What if December looked different this year
Yah what if we all just…

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart don’t let it stay there.
Give this Christmas away and your life will be changed.
By the gifts you receive when you give this Christmas away.

Give this Christmas away. You have the power.
Just give it away. Give it away. Give it away.
This Christmas, give it away.
Give Christmas away. Give it away!

Matthew West and Amy Grant (2009)

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back.”

John Bunyan (1628-1688), English Christian writer, author of Pilgrim’s Progress as quoted in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 211.

“The resources of this world are alien to us, that is, external to the nature of our habitat, “for we brought nothing into this world and we are without doubt unable to take anything from it” [1 Tim 6:7].

Our possession is the kingdom of heaven, our life is Christ and our wealth consists in the fulness of spiritual works about which Solomon said, “The redemption of a man’s soul is his wealth.” [Prov 13:8].”

The Venerable Bede (672-735), a monk at the Northumbrian Monastery in Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 5.16.11-12. CCL 120:299. ACCS.I.230.

“I can love because God loves me.
I can give because God gave.
Jesus love is why I’m smiling.
Why I’m giving every day.

When the clouds are dark above me.
When the world is cold and gray.
I remember how He loves me.
And again you’ll hear me say:

I can love because God loves me.
I can give because God gave.
Jesus love is why I’m smiling.
Why I’m giving every day.”

Song from St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving Veggie Tales DVD (2009).

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim, with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

The Liturgy of St. James a.k.a. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence dates back to the 4th century and is ascribed to James the Just, brother of Jesus and patriarch of the Jewish church in Jerusalem in the 1st century.

On iTunes download: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Fernando Ortega Christmas Songs (Nashville: Curb Records, 2008).

“Let Christian kindness overflow in you, dearly beloved. As you desire the recurring seasons of the year to be filled with fruit, so let your hearts be generous in feeding the poor. Assuredly, God…could produce the necessary materials for them, since all things are his. He could distribute so much goods to them that they would need nothing from your generosity. Much of the matter of virtue would be lacking to them and to you, if their want did not drive them to the crown of patience or your abundance lead you to the glory of compassion. Divine Providence has wonderfully arranged it that there should be in the church both holy poor and good rich people, who in turn benefit each other from their very diversity. In order for the eternal and incorruptible rewards to be gained, those receiving give thanks to God, and those distributing give thanks to God, for as it is written,…”the patience of the poor will not perish forever,” and “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Leo the Great (400-461), Pope and Doctor of the Church, Sermon 89.6.1. cf. Psalm 9:18; 2 Cor 9:7. FC 93:378. ACCS.P1-50:85.

If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to fail. Job 31:16

“In order that it might not appear that by humanely treating his servants, he [Job] did not practice a real liberality but only took care of his property, he says that he tended the hand of mercy and benevolence to strangers as well. In a different sense, one who does not wait to satisfy the desire of the needy donates without the slightest hesitation. The caring affection of the merciful offers everything, because he thinks that everything must be asked of him.”

Julian of Eclanum (386-455) Exposition on the Book of Job 31:16. CCL 88:85. ACCS.J 160.

“The gift you have received, give as a gift.

“At this time of the year, when we are all busy preparing for Christmas gift-giving, these words of Jesus are essential. This is especially true since we are so focused on material gift-giving. Jesus is telling us that our focus needs to shift, because the “gift” we have all received-the one we are supposed to be giving– has nothing to do with ribbons and bows.

What is this gift that we have all received? It’s Love: the very essence of God. And coupled with this great gift of love are empathy, compassion, kindness, honesty, mercy and forgiveness. God has an endless love for all he has created. It’s a love that is real and eternal. It’s a love that never judges or abandons. It’s a love that sees the good within everyone; a love that reflects its own Christ-essence throughout the entire Universe.

We don’t have to look far to give the gift we have all received. We don’t have to wander endlessly up and down the isles of Macy’s or Target. In fact, we have to look no further than our own hearts. The greatest of all gifts reside there in the form of the Holy Spirit. Allow that Light to shine through you this holiday season. Allow it to begin now in Advent, and allow it to grow brighter into the Christmas season and into the New Year.

Love is the only gift – that I know of – that we can all give. We can’t all give big screen TVs, or shiny new IPads, or dream trips to the Caribbean. But we have all received the gift of love and we can all give this gift freely to everyone we encounter each and every day of our lives-not just at Christmas.

There is no greater gift than love because love is the only eternal gift. Today’s IPad is tomorrow’s old news. It’s exciting today and forgotten tomorrow. Love is never old news. Love is always exciting and life-giving, and it is never forgotten.

So, let’s do as Jesus says. This Christmas, let’s give the gift we have all received from God: Love.”

Charlie Wehrley, The Redemptorists of the Denver Province, Your Daily Spiritual Reflection – December 4, 2010.

“Follow my advice and run forward to meet poverty; open wide your door at her approach, and throw yourself into her arms. For though at first, it is true, her aspect is stern, so that not without cause has she been likened to an armed and sullen traveller of forbidding countenance; yet no sooner is she adopted as a friend, than she is transformed into the least troublesome, the most constant and lovable of guests. Trust me, and open the door to her without delay, and without waiting for her to force the lock and enter victoriously through the gate wrenched from its hinges, for, stern towards such as oppose, she is gentle towards those who welcome her.”

Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) in Life of Saint Bernardino of Siena by Paul Thureau-Dangin and Baronesss G. Von Hugel, 160.

“We must not look on the saints as beggars but see them as people who have needs like our own. The practice of hospitality does not simply mean that we should entertain those who come to us. It means also that we should go out and invite others to come in.”

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185-254), early Christian scholar and theologian in Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. CER 5:72-74, Luke 14:12-14.