Motto of boxers: “It’s better to give than to receive.”
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In today’s Gospel (MK 12, 38-44), Jesus teaches us the value of true giving. He warns us not to give for show and for human esteem, but to give with the heart, not so much to please men, as to please God.
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The quantity of giving does not make our giving more worthy or pure, as the quality of our giving. What is true giving? True giving is when you give without any hidden agenda, and when you give “until it hurts.”
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You who have been given the position to give, don’t waste the opportunity to be kind, to be generous, and to share. You have been “gifted to give,” remember? You who have been blessed, be a blessing to others!
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You know you are truly giving when you leave your “comfort zone,” you go the “extra mile,” you give the “extra smile,” and you do it all in secret, unknown and unrecognized.
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There is no true giving without sacrifice. Our God is a generous God. He made us, the world, and everything around us, and He has generously provided everything for us. But the greatest proof of His love and generosity is when He gave us His Only Begotten Son, that we may have eternal life. (Jn. 3,16)
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Many have lost a loved one in this pandemic. As it were, the Lord has taken them back to Himself. May we learn to give back to God those whom He lent to us. May we be given the grace to let go, to let God, and say, “Thy will be done Lord…” They are not gone. They are in God’s heart, and that’s where we meet them in prayer now, and meet them again in Heaven, someday.
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Love and respect are earned. They are not demanded. They are not sought, or come automatically with the office or with the money. They are not the light outside you, but the inner light in you that make you glow.
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Someone once said that saints are like stained glass. They did not seek the spotlight on themselves; rather, they let God’s light shine through them.
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Normal for all of us to seek recognition and appreciation from this world, but let us ask ourselves: what for? Know that you are really journeying to God’s heart where worldly ratings and approval become secondary, and you can smile and say: “Let go. Let God! What God thinks and says about me is more important than what this passing world thinks or says about me.”
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Time to do some cleaning up and disposing of what we don’t really need or use. In preparation for Christmas, maybe we can start decongesting our rooms and homes of whatever we can share to those who have need of them. That’s just for starters. How about sharing and donating money to charitable organizations? And finally, how about cleaning up the clutter in your soul and in your character, in gratitude to God’s goodness and forgiveness for you and for me through the years?
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In life, forget about being impressive. It is more important to be expressive.
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After my 10 a.m. Mass on Facebook and YouTube every Sunday (12 noon, replay on Cignal TV), my fellow missionaries have a mission band, Harana, just to give joy and to lift up the spirits of people. We are not professional singers, and we are way below “performance level,” but, as the song says: “Don’t worry if it’s not good enough, for anyone else to hear; just sing, sing a song!” Yes, let’s all “sing of good things, not bad, sing of happy, not sad; just sing, sing a song!” Give, and keep giving, whatever, as long as you do so, with the heart, and with love.
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A moment with the Lord:Lord, help us not to be calculating in our giving and in our loving. Amen.