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A Cheerful Giver

10 Friday Aug 2018

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generosity, poor, St. Lawrence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures

agiftsAs one who is not overly enamored of the workings of internet technology, I must admit that I appreciate my findings more and more when I go surfing in the morning. Today I typed in the word generosity and found a lovely short paragraph from the University of Notre Dame that expresses what I think is inherent in all the lectionary readings for this date, celebrating the feast of St. Lawrence.

Generosity also involves giving to others not simply anything in abundance but rather giving those things that are good for others. Generosity always intends to enhance the true well-being of those to whom it gives.

The legends surrounding the life and death of St. Lawrence bear witness to this truth. Lawrence was a deacon in Rome in the third century serving Pope Sixtus II in a time of great persecution. Knowing he was likely to be arrested and martyred for his faith – as was the Pope – Lawrence, who was charged with responsibility for the material goods of the Church, began distributing all the money and selling even the sacred vessels to give to the poor. When the Roman official heard of this, he ordered Lawrence to bring him all the treasures of the Church saying that the emperor needed them to maintain the military forces. Lawrence agreed and gathered all the poor and infirm, orphans and widows…all the poor in any way, and lined them up. When the government official arrived to claim the riches, Lawrence said, “These are the treasures of the Church.”

That story calls me to consider what I see as “treasure” and how generous I am in my living. Whether we are materially rich or poor we all have gifts to give. Where do your gifts lie? Are you willing to open your hands and your heart to others in need? Are you willing to receive the generosity of others? The readings suggest, as does a song of long ago, that “God loves a cheerful giver.” May we all know the joys of generosity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best We Can Do

19 Thursday Apr 2018

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answer, blessings, happiness, health, loving care, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, prayer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures

adaffodilinsnowLooking out and seeing one more snowfall in this third quadrant of the month that is supposed to bring us May flowers, I once more reached for the book called Perseverance for an encouraging word. (Meg Wheatley is good at providing solace in down-to-earth terms when everything looks bleak.) I shouldn’t complain; look at the destruction on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kauai and other serious weather disasters around the world. And that’s just the beginning of what people are enduring in their lives.

As I pulled the book toward me, a bookmark fluttered out and landed on my lap. It was the answer to my need for help, of course. It was familiar – “a blast from the past” – and reminded me of all the singsong prayers in my childhood that made up a treasure chest full of meaningful messages that always seemed an answer on days like this. It also brought to mind the beautiful, giving friend from whom it came and whose example I try to follow. Perhaps you will find it meaningful today as well.

I said a prayer for you today and know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart although God spoke no word. I didn’t ask for wealth or fame; I knew you wouldn’t mind. I asked God to send treasures of a far more lasting kind. I asked God to be near you at the start of each new day, to grant you health and blessings and friends to share your way. I asked for happiness for you in all things great and small, but it was for God’s loving care I prayed the most of all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cheerful Giver

10 Wednesday Aug 2016

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charity, cheerful giver, Corinthians, feed the poor, justice, martyr, St. Lawrence, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures, valuable

afoodbankThe 2,000 years of Christianity have been punctuated with reminders of our duty toward “the poor among us.” The verse that begins today’s readings is clear. Paul says: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 COR 9:6) We would do well to meditate on the actions of St. Lawrence, whose feast is today, as we consider this Scripture text. He was a deacon in Rome during the early days of Christian persecution about whom almost all of the little that is known is legend. There is no birth date and a question mark follows the printed date of his death (d. 258?). He is remembered, however, as the story goes, for his actions when he was commanded to bring all the holy vessels that comprised the riches of the Church to the prefect (governor). He agreed but asked for three days to put together an inventory of what was valuable. When the prefect returned, Lawrence had gathered “a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows…[and] simply said, ‘These are the treasures of the Church.'” (http://www.americancatholic.org) As you might imagine, St. Lawrence became a martyr shortly thereafter.

I am left after those readings with the same questions that come to me each time I am reminded of this issue of justice in the world. What can I do to help the people in my own community to be fed? Where are the children in our area who go to bed hungry? Why, in one of the riches countries in the world are there so many people who have to make a choice between rent and food or medicine and food or any other need and food? There are many questions about issues both individual and systemic. I find myself most often in the population that is charitable but not so involved in justice work. Today, when rain and mundane tasks will keep me inside, is a good day to take one more step across that line toward the difficult work of justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigger Barns

20 Monday Oct 2014

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baby boomers, clutter, fool, God, greed, harvest, Luke, possessions, rich man, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures

stuffOne of the words heard very commonly today, especially from “baby-boomers” in my circles, is downsizing. When our houses become cluttered with things that are no longer needed or useful, especially clothing, exercise equipment, gadgets or the like, we begin to wonder about the advisability of getting rid of some of them. Sometimes the divestment can be quite painful if what we have has been precious to us in the past. How can I possibly give away my wedding dress or the bicycle that might someday become part of my exercise program…? Even though we may not count ourselves in the company of the greedy, it is easy to see how we can slide into the “too much is never enough” category. (I did actually buy a small bookcase this year – to add to the other three in my bedroom…just for my studies, of course.)

The gospel this morning (LK 12: 13-21) is rather stark in its commentary on greed and the acquisition of too many goods. Luke recounts a parable about a rich man who, when faced with a bountiful harvest, plans to tear down his barns and build bigger ones where he can store not only his grain but his other goods as well. His vision sees him, when the building and storage is complete, saying to himself, “Eat, drink and be merry!” But God calls him a fool, tells him he’s going to die that night and asks what will happen then to all that he has stored up. The moral of the story is a good one for us to consider. Jesus says: “Thus it will be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

So I guess I’d better get about considering what matters to God and at the same time start thinning out my library…and clothes closet…and cache of mementos…

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