How do you buy a gift for a priest?

This article caught my eye, and I'll happily link it, as I offer my own take on this subject.

First and foremost, let me say that most priests are fine with not getting any gifts for Christmas; we don't expect anything and don't want you to go to any trouble.

And to cut to the chase: if you really want to make your priest happy, come to confession and Mass and grow in holiness. That's what we're doing this for. Not for the money or the perks, but because we want you to grow closer to Christ. Signs of that are tremendous encouragement for priests.

All that said, I'll give you candid advice on what (and what not) to get a priest as a gift.

No:

- Gift cards. Maybe this is just me, but gift cards are hit-or-miss. 

I often lose track of them, and therefore, feel badly that someone spent money on a gift which never gets used. After all, who knows when I'll go to this or that store or restaurant? Also, sometimes people pick restaurants or stores I don't really go to, so that turns it into a project. And I wonder if it's a headache for the store workers or wait-staff to handle several gift cards plus a credit card to pay for things. Maybe not. Then there are the pre-paid Visa/Mastercard cards, which involve added fees; I feel badly for someone who wants to give me $25, but has to pay an extra $5 to do it. 

Let's tell some truth: gift cards are only for the advantage of the businesses whose names are on them. What advantage do they bring you when you buy them, or give them; or to whoever receives them? I am not aware of any business that says, oh, sorry, we don't take cash, credit or checks, only our own gift cards!

- Dinner when it's going to be an interrogation. 

Look, I get that people want to meet with their priest, and that's no problem at all. If you have questions or needs, and you want my perspective or guidance, of course I will provide that for you. 

But here's where it gets, well, manipulative. "Father, we want you to have a nice, relaxing evening, so why don't you come over for dinner?" Sounds great, right? But after years of experience, my spidey-sense goes off. Here's what happens most of the time. First, just meeting a house full of people isn't relaxing; I'm glad to meet people, but it's a challenge, and I tend to be more outgoing; for more introvertive people, it's a huge chore. On top of that, what usually happens is two or three hours of grilling about the catechism, the latest decision about the pope or the bishop, or about the story of my life. 

Again, I have no problem explaining the teaching of the Church, or justifying policy decisions by me or the higher-ups; but please don't think this is "relaxing." 

Yes:

- Give him peace and quiet. 

If your priest is sitting quietly in church or outside his rectory, let him be if you don't need to take his time. If your priest is at home, either on his regular day of rest, or else it's evening, or it's the days after Christmas, don't just drop by his house. Let him be. 

- Give him something he, himself, said he'd like; don't guess. 

I've gotten all manner of things that I felt awkward about, because they weren't things I could really use, and yet I knew the gift was given out of kindness, and yet I felt badly about the expense. I have more than enough coffee mugs at this point in my life. I can usually find a use for a bottle of wine or liquor, but that often means giving them away, because they aren't things I care for myself. 

- Don't be afraid to give actual cash. 

I'm not sure why this bothers people; it sure doesn't bother me to receive it. I don't look askance at a $5 bill, or for that matter, a quarter; so don't worry about whether it seems not to be "enough." Cash is the universal gift card.

What do you think?