Back in 1995, Dr. Gary Chapman coined the term “Love Languages.” Through his counseling practice, he noticed that there are five ways people typically express and receive love. Those love languages are:
- Words of Affirmation
- Quality Time
- Receiving Gifts
- Acts of Service
- Physical Touch
Knowing your loved ones’ love language will help you choose the gift that’s most suited to making them feel cherished. As Dr. Chapman wrote in “The Five Love Languages,” his New York Times Bestseller, “[W]hat makes one person feel loved emotionally is not always the thing that makes another feel loved emotionally.”
The key is to learn your spouse or children’s love languages. The 5 Love Languages official assessment (www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/) quiz for children, teens, couples and singles makes it easy to determine someone’s primary love language.
Once you’ve determined how someone receives love, check out Our Sunday Visitor’s gift guide geared toward each of the five love languages.
The person whose language is Words of Affirmation feels lifted by compliments and encouraging words. Give a gift that inspires a person to grow or boosts confidence.
“Most of us have more potential than we will ever develop. What holds us back is often courage,” writes Chapman.
Foundations Bible Journaling Kit
For that person who has untapped artistic potential, encourage them by giving them the Foundations Bible Journaling Kit. This awesome kit has all the necessary art supplies to begin Bible journaling and more. The kit includes a mechanical pencil, ruler/straight edge, two black Pigma Microns with different nib sizes, 2 Gelly Roll pens (colors white and stardust), 15-colored pencil set, 21-color watercolor paint set, tracing artist pad (5″x7″) and gray graphite paper.Price: $39.99
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
Mass Journal
The hardbound Every Sacred Sunday’s 2019-2020 Mass Journal is perfect for reflecting on and drawing illustrations inspired by the Mass readings for Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation. Pair this with the Foundations Bible Journaling Kit.Price: $44.95
Website: everysacredsunday.com
Padre Pio “Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry-LED CandleSt. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968) is featured on The Saints Gift Collection LED candle. The Italian friar and mystic is known for being a great confessor and for his encouraging advice: “Pray, hope and don’t worry.”
Price: $12.95
Website: thesaintsgiftcollection.com
“The Gift of Invitation”
From the “Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women” series is “The Gift of Invitation: 7 Ways That Jesus Invites You to a Life of Grace” by Allison Gingras. The journal offers engaging stories about Gringra’s faith journey, Scripture passages, meditations and reflections on how to be better prepared to accept Jesus’ invitations, along with lined pages to journal.
Price: $11.95
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
“Togetherness has to do with focused attention,” Chapman says. The individual whose primary love language is quality time feels loved and appreciated when they receive your undivided attention. To support play and togetherness, here’s a selection of gifts that encourage making room for more positive family interaction.
“Saving The Family”One sure-fire way of carving out quality time is to eat together as a family. “Saving The Family: The Transformative Power of Sharing Meals With People You Love” by Father Leo Patalinghug outlines creative ways families can make the most out of mealtime. He writes, “Make your goal family togetherness not Martha Stewartness.”
Price: $19.95
Website: sophiainstitute.com
Saint Paper Dolls from Stella Marigold ArtPaper dolls are a great toy for one-on-one imaginative playtime with a child or grandchild. Stella Marigold Art by Catholic artist Andrea Smith offers detailed paper dolls of female and male saints, including St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Dominic Savio, St. Gregory the Great and more.
Price: $2-$5 each for download
Website: etsy.com/shop/stellamarigoldart
“The Catholic Grandparents Handbook”In “The Catholic Grandparents Handbook: Creative Ways to Show Love, Share Faith, and Have Fun” (Word Among Us Press), author Lorene Hanley Duquin writes about the role of the grandparent — “the last important vocation.” Besides being a storyteller, mentor, nurturer and role model, grandparents can be playmates, offering fun and adventure to their grandchildren. Duquin shows how grandparents can share quality time with their grandchildren by praying, listening, fun activities, service and more. The handbook is the ultimate edifying guide to becoming a good grandparent.
Price: $12.76
Website: bookstore.wau.org
“The Complete Illuminated Rosary”Nothing makes a family feel united like reciting the Rosary together. “The Complete Illustrated Rosary: An Illustrated Book for Kids and Their Families” is a set of four softbound books containing full-color illustrations — primarily classical art — for meditating on each prayer of the Rosary. At the bottom of each picture is the prayer, which helps young people or new Catholics to follow along easily.
Price: $54.95 (or $19.95 for individual books)
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
Glory Be Saints Calendar 2020
Let your family or loved one spend the year with the saints using this full-color wall calendar. Each month features a saint drawing by artist Rebecca Pohlmeier along with a prayer, Bible verse or quote from the saint, including Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul Miki, St. Catherine of Siena, Sts. Zélie and Louis Martin and more! Gift this calendar to family members to get 2020 started with the right perspective.Price: $14.95
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
“Mozart: Gift of God”Reading to a child or grandchild is one of the best ways to bond, especially when there’s a book that both the child and adult finds captivating. “Mozart: Gift of God,” by popular children’s author and illustrator Demi, fits that bill. It’s well-known about Mozart’s genius for music, but not everyone knows how much Mozart loved God and how he attributed his talent to the creator. “When asked about his composing Mozart pointed to his ear, his head, and his heart and said that music came to him as a gift,” writes Demi.
Price: $15.99
Website: ignatius.com
“A gift is something that you can hold in your hand and say, ‘Look, he was thinking of me,’ or ‘She remembered me,'” explains Chapman. “The gift itself is a symbol of thought.” Visual symbols of thought or love are essential to those whose love language is receiving gifts, so don’t wait for holidays or birthdays to give this person a present. They appreciate gifts that are purchased, found or made because when they look at or use your gift, they’ll remember and think fondly of you.
CORDA CandlesStylish-looking CORDA Candles feature candles inspired by Sts. Joseph, Pier Giorgio, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine, Mother Mary and the Catholic faith. They’re scented with essential oils, natural oils and fragrance oils. The wax comes from coconut, cosmetic grade beeswax and other botanical waxes.
Price: $18.75
Website: cordacandles.com
Painted Saint’s MedalsGive a one-of-a-kind saint medal like this one of St. Maximillian Kolbe or choose another from Saints for Sinners’ vast collection of both popular and obscure saints. Each colorful medal, hand-painted in New Orleans, comes with a silver necklace, saint card and a felt pouch.
Price: $29.95
Website: saintsforsinners.com
Gloriae Dei Cantores Christmas Music CDs“The Season’s Sacred Mystery,” a two-CD gift set of music from the Gloriae Dei Cantores, offers an exquisite listening experience for the Christmas season. In “Sing Noel,” we hear the Gloriae Dei Cantores — a 40-voice choir — singing timeless Christmas carols. Featured are a heavenly sounding “Sing Noel,” “Away in a Manger,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Orchestra, bells, and brass accompany the choir. In “The Chants of Christmas,” the Gloriae Dei Cantores sing Gregorian chant for the Nativity Masses as well as Marian antiphons, such as “Salve Regina.”
Price: $25.99 (2-CD gift set)
Website: gdcrecordings.com
Love Your Mother BoardThe coolest gift of the season is Motherboards’ premium skateboards made from American/Canadian Maple Wood with custom artwork including images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Michael. Each board also includes an image of the front of Miraculous Medal and the back of the Benedict medal. “We think of these as our ‘secret deck weapons,'” LoveYourMotherboard.com says.
Price: $149.99 (Standard 8 or 8:25″ steep and 31.5″ length)
Coupon Code: 20% off
Website: loveyourmotherboard.com
Pietra Fitness
Pietra Fitness is an exercise program that builds strength in body and soul via workout videos and live classes. The classes focus on stretching, strengthening, and improving posture and core strength while incorporating Catholic prayer. In addition to their online library, Pietra releases one new video a month. Pietra Fitness is a great, Catholic alternative to Yoga.
Price: $9.99 / month with a 14-day free trial
Website: pietrafitness.com
Many mothers feel especially loved when their husbands and children do chores around the home without being asked. For the person whose love language is Acts of Service, give them a certificate saying, “I’ll wash the dinner dishes for a week,” or “Good for a foot rub.” If you want to spoil a hard-working spouse, make him or her breakfast in bed during the 12 days of Christmas. Serve up eggs, bacon and Ancient Roman Honey Cake (recipe from “Cooking with the Saints”), and Mission Farm Fruit Tarts on beautiful dishes from the Holy Land.
West Bank dishes from the Holy LandWe eat with our eyes, so these vividly-colored hand-painted ceramic West Bank dishes will make Christmas breakfast or brunch feel festive. The dishes are made by Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans (BFTA) who are in dire need of our support because tourism is down drastically.
Price: $22-$50 price range per piece or set
Website: serrv.org
Mission Farm Fruit TartsMission Farm Tarts come in three delicious flavors, raspberry, blueberry and apricot, cradled in a buttery crust. The decorative top of the tarts will dress up any Christmas feast.
Price: $19.95 (set of six)
Website: monasterygreetings.com
“Cooking with the Saints”Find a recipe by choosing a saint’s feast day or any month in the year in “Cooking with the Saints” by Alexandra Greeley and Fernando Flores. More than a cookbook, there’s artwork, short biographies of the featured saints, beautiful food photography, and a diverse collection of recipes from different cultures.
Price: $34.95
Website: sophiainstitute.com
“67 Ways to Do the Works of Mercy with Your Kids”Make beautiful memories with your children and grandchildren while instilling in them an attitude of service. Author Heidi Indah recommends ideas for creating a culture of service in her book, “67 Ways to Do the Works of Mercy with Your Kids.” She outlines the cycle of service — preparing, acting and reflecting — and she offers concrete service ideas. Indahl, a mother to seven children ages 14 and under, also takes into account the seasons of life and suggests how parents with young children can serve from home.
Price: $11.95
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
Finally, physical touch is a powerful communicator of love and caring. Chapman says,
“A tender hug communicates love to any child, but it shouts love to the child whose primary love language is physical touch. The same is true of adults.”
Alpaca throws from SerrvThose whose primary love language is touch appreciate a soft throw. Peruvian artisans, using 100% alpaca fleece, weave these throws using traditional handloom. The textiles are fair-trade, so the artisans receive a fair wage.
Price: $165-$180 (60″ x 50″)
Website: serrv.org
Glory and Shine lotionGlory and Shine offers a quality line of amazing smelling lotions, soaps, shaving products, beard balm and lip balm. What makes their self-care line exceptional, beyond using pure ingredients, is that the products contain water from Lourdes where the Blessed Virgin appeared in 1858 to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous. Check out Glory and Shine’s selection of gift baskets.
Price: $24.99-$53.49
Coupon code: “SV15” for 15% off
Website: gloryandshine.com
Mother Mary Plush DollNew from Shining Light Dolls is their 10″ Mother Mary holding Baby Jesus doll. Handmade, the plush toy features embroidered details on the crown and face.
Price: $24.99
Website: shininglightdolls.com
Sock ReligiousNot your usual socks, Sock Religious offers funky socks with an image of Pope Francis, religious symbols, and popular saints such as Mother Teresa and St. Benedict.
Price: $10-$14
Coupon code: “OSV” for 15% off one order (expires Dec. 31, 2019)
Website: sockreligious.com
Unplanned DVDThose whose love language is physical touch appreciate time cuddling on the couch watching a movie. Unplanned is ranked No. 1 in the Drama DVD category on Amazon. The movie follows the true-life story of how Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood director, left the abortion industry after assisting with the abortion of a baby boy.
Price: $14.96
Website: amazon.com
Lori Hadacek Chaplin writes from Idaho.
