Day 7
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .
Seven swans-a-swimming.
Whereas there are geese (day six) in my neighborhood, there are not swans. Never fear, though, there is a nearby lake whose owners brought in swans.
Or at least, there were swans. They were picked off and eaten one by one by a river otter who would hunt them from under the water. The swans had no chance of escape because their wings were clipped. The otter was eating a rather expensive supper because swans are not cheap.
I mentioned before that seven was a pretty popular number; it represents completion or fullness. With the seven swans, we’ve also reached seven types of birds.
For us Catholics, we can remember the seven sacraments and/or the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Both the Gifts and the sacraments are gifts from God to us. God, our true love, gave us Himself, but continues to keep giving to us. The sacraments are ways in which we can experience the Lord in a real way through the outpouring of grace. The gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to actually live the Christian life.
As you write thank you notes to people for Christmas gifts (don’t try to get away with a thank-you text or thank-you Facebook message), first thank the Lord for the abundant gifts He gives.
