It’s too bad that St. Paul was never a grandfather. Today I picture him as a wise older man enjoying the gifts the Philippians sent him but reminding them that by accepting them, he has given them the gift of giving.  The reading makes me think of an interchange with my delightful grandson, Donavin.

When I was in Spokane last spring, he crafted a “puppet” for me from a pencil, string, wax paper and brown paper. It has two sets of feet and a beaming smile like his. I packed it carefully and promised to hang it in my office. When we saw each other last summer, the first thing he said to me was, “Grandma do you still have my puppet?” His face lit up when I said yes. By treasuring his gift, I gave him an even greater gift. He’ll remember the joy of giving far longer than any Transformer he receives.

As I reflect on today’s passage, I also am struck by how hard it is for many people to accept the small gifts of daily life.  This is particularly true of the tribe I belong to – middle-aged “Marthas” who were socialized to put the needs of others before their own. You know the type – the mom who won’t join the family for dinner until everyone else is served or who won’t name a single thing she wants for Christmas.  How selfless! How noble! How controlling/guilt inducing!

Viewed through St. Paul’s lens, we’re actually denying others “the profit that accrues to their account.” Ironically, we may have trouble believing we can’t work our way into heaven because that isn’t how God works. If we have a hard time accepting generosity from people, we may struggle even more with believing that God gives us gifts that we can neither earn nor repay.

So as we approach the start of the holiday season, if you are a “Martha” who finds it hard to accept gifts of all kinds without feeling that you MUST do something in return, think about the wisdom of Paul today. In accepting the gifts of others, you allow them to receive, as both this reading and the Prayer of St. Francis remind us.