Month: December 2021

Mercy’s Gifts

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 

It's a pint of blood needed
For folks we don’t know
 Or a handful of tissues 
When their tears start to flow

 A quiet embrace 
When their world falls apart
And a light at the door 
When they come after dark

 It's that kiss of forgiveness 
When we still feel the hurt
 Or a check in the mail 
When they’ve been out of work

 Angel songs after midnight 
When we’re up watching sheep
 And a Babe in a manger 
On a night that's so deep! 

Mercy's Gifts by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2020
 All rights reserved

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy – Matthew 5:7 KJV

Two Turtle Doves

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:24 ESV

This morning I was thinking of how, Mary and Joseph had heard from angels and watched shepherds and wise men kneel before Jesus, but when they came to the temple to dedicate God’s miracle child, they offered only the sacrifice of the poorest of the poor. Though they were not ashamed to come to Herod’s golden temple with their babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, sometimes I wonder why God chose two doves for their offering.

Think how different it might have been if God had picked a princess or the wife of a wealthy merchant in place of Mary. But God chose a young peasant girl from Nazareth to be the mother of His Son. He specifically selected a poor village for Him to grow up in and a simple carpenter to provide Him a home. No place on earth was too humble for the Lord of the universe to visit and no offering too small for Him to treasure. And maybe it is like when I tell my grandchildren, “One cookie isn’t enough! You need another so there will be one for each hand!” Maybe God chose two doves so that they would have something in each hand to give Him. So, if you wonder what you have to give God this Christmas, think of Mary’s turtledoves and then come with whatever He puts in your hands.