The Christmas toy catalogs have already begun to show up in the mailbox.  My children have been paging through them multiple times, circling items that meet their eyes and asking if they can put them on their Christmas lists. Toys, electronics, and decorations are beginning to fill store shelves and soon we will see ads for Black Friday sales all before Advent even begins. It won’t be long before we are bombarded with all of the materialism that surrounds the holiest time of year.

We begin to think of what to buy for our children for Christmas. My husband and I have the same discussion year after year: “Do they really need that toy, and will it get played with or simply tossed to the side after the initial excitement wears off?” Ultimately, we want to give our children a gift that will be treasured and used for more than just a brief moment.

Growing up as a child my grandparents didn’t have a lot of money, but my grandmother always went in search of the perfect gift for each of her grandchildren. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that what I began appreciating even more than the gift was the card that came attached to it: A card filled with a spiritual bouquet of dozens of prayers, Masses, Holy Hours and Rosaries said for each of her children and grandchildren; countless hours over the years spent praying for her family.

What is it that we really want for our children and grandchildren? What kind of dreams, goals and hopes do we have for their future? What does it look like and what am I doing now to help them get there? Essentially, we want something for them that money doesn’t buy, something the world cannot give, and it won’t be found neatly wrapped in a package and a bow.

We want the ultimate gift for them: heaven. Eternal salvation with Christ doesn’t come easy. It requires sacrifice, immense love and heroic virtue. These things are all made possible through prayer, grace and the sacraments. It is the pearl of great price, and it is the only gift that really matters in the end and the one our hearts are longing for.

While we don’t know a lot about Saints Joachim and Anne other than they were the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus, we can easily conclude that they were devout and holy. To have raised a daughter such as Mary, who was devoted, prayerful and filled with strong character, we can assume they modeled these traits in their daily life as well. They became saints who were a part of Jesus’ life, holding him as a child, caring for him as a young boy and watching him grow.

SPECIAL PREMIUM $365-599 LEVEL — Grow in your faith at home and share it with your guests using our Holy Family with Grandparents Joachim and Anne Catholic Home Doorpost Blessing! These spiritual aids are available in a bronze stonecast alabaster and feature a sacred image printed on wood. Each contains a scroll, rolled into a tube, which fits into a slot on the back of the hanger. These hangers are meant to be placed near the entrance of your home as a reminder of your Christian duty to love God above all things. They are beautiful home decor items and would make a fine housewarming gift.