Today is the one but last day of the reflections in the book (somewhere along the way I have obviously messed up my counting!) and, to me, it feels a bit as if the writer is tired, almost out of ideas, and glad to be nearing the end of his journey.  Whilst I appreciate that, and it can indeed be my own experience, it seems a shame that sometimes the frenetic planning and preparing leaves us too tired to enjoy the 'main event'.

We are invited to think about gift-giving - not just the exchange of presents, however lovely that is, but the gifts given us by God for the common good.  Advent reaches its end for another year, I wonder what gifts we might have discovered along the way? I wonder what gifts we have shared or given away?  I wonder what we will, in a couple of days, offer to the child...

The prayer:

Generous one, thank you for all the gifts you give me.  Thank you for all the gifts I have been given by others.  Please open up in me more the spirit of generosity so that I can give gifts to others with joy and gladness simply from the act of giving.  Amen.