Prayer for 2023
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give
Will You Give with Open Hands and Heart
The measure with which you measure,
will in turn be measured out to you.
It seems to me, that sadly, we live in a society that seems, in many ways, to have forgotten much of this Gospel message. Children participate in what is termed “competitive sports”, but they come to believe there is a trophy or a tiara for everyone for every event. They miss an opportunity to know the thrill of running for the sheer joy of feeling the wind on their faces, a hug from a parent – a loving squeeze without words that conveys, “I am so proud of you!” The pleasure St. Paul writes about to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” I wonder, did he watch or participate in the competitive games in the coliseum he writes about to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?”
All-too-quickly today’s young people can lose (and sadly never rediscover) the warm, fuzzy feelings of self-satisfaction that was once a natural reaction to success. You know that gleeful, almost smug smile the first time they stood alone, took their first step… when, for the first time, to the consternation of the adults, they opened a child-proof container, hammered that first nail into mom’s precious table or exhibited their wonderful drawing with indelible pen on the living room wall and exclaimed: “Look what I did!” No one could be prouder of an achievement!
Jesus advises us: Give your cloak AND your tunic – not just your warm coat (that you haven’t worn in eons) but also the shirt off your back. Today Jesus might challenge us – Why is your closet stuffed with clothing you haven’t worn since your weight changed or we moved across the street? It is quite unlikely you’ll ever wear them again. But that Daystar customer, or that lady from the Sunrise shelter, or the Saint Leo University student who is looking for a business outfit for her first job interview? Your blouse would fit her perfectly and give her a boost of confidence.
Jesus reminds us, when we invite company for a meal not to wait for a return dinner date. Don’t ask: whose turn is it to pick up the tab this time? He says to lend freely without expectation of repayment. And when you respond generously to the impulse to do good – what caused that desire arise? Be slow to assume it is due to anything you have done. Remember Jesus says, “Even sinners lend to their own kind.” Give, and gifts will be given to you – in good measure, tamped down, packed tight, so your vessel can hold every tiny possible grain of blessing – full to overflowing – spilling over into your life and influencing those around you.
So how will you measure out your kindness – by the teaspoon, tablespoon or a cupful? By the minute, by the hour it might take you? We have 24 hours in a day; that’s 168 hours a week. It’s true they’re not all waking hours. All toll we have time in excess of 8000 hours a year! How flexible will you be with these God-given hours? Will you respond to an imposition on your time? Now? Tomorrow? Next week? Or with a prayer that the request will be forgotten or someone else will be enlisted to make a donation of her time? Or will you give with open hands and heart – freely, without measure?
Jesus promises us: “The measure with which you measure, it will in turn be measured out to you.” And, in turn we will reap the
kind of joy recognized by the child who is quoted in the current issue of Reader’s Digest. She received birthday money from her grandmother to “buy something nice for yourself.” “I did,” she said when questioned about why she put her gift money in the church collection basket. “I did” she said, what Grandma said: “I brought happiness!”
~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading: 1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Continue ReadingThe Measure With Which You Measure
We live in a society that seems to have forgotten much of this Gospel message. Children come to believe there is a trophy for every event in life. They have forgotten – if they ever knew – the thrill of running for the sheer joy of feeling the wind on their faces, a hug from a parent – a loving squeeze without words that conveys “I am so proud of you!”
All-too-quickly lose (many sadly never rediscover) the warm, fuzzy feelings of self-satisfaction that was once a natural reaction to success – that gleeful, almost smug smile the first time they stood alone, took their first step… when for the first time, to the consternation of the adults, they opened a child-proof container, hammered the first nail into mom’s precious table or exhibited their wonderful drawing with indelible pen on the living room wall…no one could be prouder of an achievement!
School children vie with each other to make donations to a collective cause. Why? Because they are learning the virtue of mercy? Or because they get a “free dress” day at school? When they come home with evidence of a playground tussle… what often is a parent’s response? Did you offer your other cheek? Hardly likely – too frequently I suspect it is more like “I hope you let that other kid know what it’s like to get hit.”
Jesus tells us: Give to everyone who asks; treat others as you’d like to be treated; don’t take back what you gave as gift; give God the credit due for the generous urges you feel toward others and the charitable thoughts that squelch the unkind words that try to spring thoughtlessly past our lips.
Jesus advises us: Give your cloak AND your tunic – not just your warm coat (since you have another at home) but also the shirt off your back. Today Jesus might challenge us – Why is your closet stuffed with blouses you haven’t worn since before you lost weight – or gained it? It is quite unlikely you’ll never wear them again. But that DAYSTAR customer, or that lady from the Sunrise women’s shelter who is going for a job interview? Your blouse would fit her perfectly and add an ounce of confidence to her self-esteem.
Jesus reminds us, when we invite company for a meal not to wait for a return dinner date. Don’t ask: whose turn is it to pick up the tab this time? He says to lend freely without expectation of repayment. And when you respond generously to the impulse to do good – what caused that desire to arise? Be slow to assume it is due to anything you have done. Remember Jesus says, “even sinners lend to their own kind.” Give, and gifts will be given to you – in good measure, tamped down, packed tight, so your vessel can hold every tiny possible grain of blessing – full to overflowing – spilling over into your life and influencing all around you.
But there is a condition – if you are stingy, stinginess will be yours. But, If you give without measure, ah, blessed the gift! – generosity will be yours.
So how will you measure out your kindness – by the teaspoon, tablespoon or a cupful? By the minute, by the hour it might take you? You have 24 hours in a day (you know?) … a 168 a week, (true not all waking hours). That’s time in excess of 8000 hours a year! How flexible will you be with these God-given hours? Will you respond to an imposition on your time – Now? Tomorrow? Next week? Or with a prayer that the request will be forgotten? Or will you give with open hands and heart – freely, without measure? Jesus promises us: “the measure with which you measure, it will in turn be measured out to you.”
~Reflection by S. Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
Luke 6:27-38
Continue ReadingTwo Cents
I would venture to say that most hearers or readers think that this Gospel passage is only about the widow or about how honorable the poor are for being generous. If we do, we’re missing the point. Of course we cannot simply look at the story of the widow: (having lost her spouse – possibly at a young age given men’s’ life expectancy then – she might have had no children; now she’s considered a burden to both her parents and her in-laws.
Jesus commended her giving, in contrast to that of the scribes, because she gave everything she had! She could have kept one of those coins for herself, but she willingly gave everything she had to Jesus. That widow could never have known what her gift would accomplish. She walked into the Temple, ignored by the rich, the religious and those caught up in the celebrity worship of the day. She walked in with her little gift and she gave it without fanfare – no trumpet blare, no applause. Everything that poor woman had earned for her own needs was given willingly to the Lord. She is an example of extravagant giving!
The rich gave, too. Some came in with great fanfare, standing back and tossing in their gift for the greatest effect. Others gave with a frown on their face, holding onto their coins as tightly as they could to the very last second. Others probably stopped to make sure that everyone was watching them as they gave their offerings. They wanted to be recognized, honored and in control – they wanted a say in everything. People like that are dangerous, divisive people! They are religious fools.
They received their applause and they walked proudly away. This poor widow gave her “two cents” and walked away, but her gift is still giving today. How many people have been challenged to go ahead and give their little because of this woman’s example?
Why would she bother to give such an insignificant gift? Her two cents among the thousands of dollars given by the wealthy seems so small. Why bother? This little lady is everything the religious scribes and the rich hypocrites were not. Why would she bother to give such an insignificant gift?
It’s her attitude that speaks volumes: humble, unassuming, unpretentious. One’s attitude makes all the difference. How we give is far more important than what we give! Reminds me of a definition I heard many moon ago of the difference between cooperation and collaboration. Cooperation is when all the stakeholders put their money on the table; collaboration happens when they put their hands in their laps.
In her quiet giving she was preaching a powerful sermon. Hear her as she humbly explains:
- I give because God loves me and I love in return
- I give because I trust God
- I give because God has given to me
Three other lessons we might glean:
- God will do great things with our small offerings –We do not know what any others giver put in the basket that week in the temple. But, after over 2,000 years the tiny gift of that widow has been multiplied into untold billions as people have been motivated to give out of their own poverty.
- The Lord will settle His accounts one day – The scribes and the wealthy men there that day had their reward then and there – they blew their own trumpets – they got public attention and admiration. This widow will receive hers later! Do what you do for God – just keep it simple and silent. Be honest: have you ever taken credit for a gift NOT given … failed to contribute to a collection (like we do for Daystar, the Heritage Christmas or AIM) but smiled as if you had contributed when the community is praised for its generosity?
- God does not want our money; He wants us – He wants our love and our devotion and when He has that, He has everything else that we possess. When God has us, He has our pocketbooks.
So, in summary, the important lesson we might take from this story is: that real giving is sacrificial and reckless. How much of your personal monthly allowance do you dedicate to doing good for someone else? Do you contribute at the end of the month if you have something left over? Or do you automatically designate 10% of your allowance to a cause each month?
If you remember nothing else, remember this: the attitude of your heart in giving makes all the difference. How we give is far more important than what we give!
