Are you a giver or a taker?

The story is told about two political rivals who found themselves praying in the same church. After some moments, the first one went to the side altar to light a candle, and put some money into the collection box. After he left, the second one went also to the side altar, and guess what? He put off the candle his opponent lighted, and went on to take the money from the collection box!

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1. d The world teaches us to be wise and pragmatic. The Lord teaches us to be generous and giving.

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It’s better to be generous to a fault, than to be selfish for comfort. For us Christians, the “extra mile” is not an optional choice. It is a part of our route.

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In the eyes of the world, the road of Christian love is the road of losers. This world teaches us to get as much as we can, in any way we can. On the other hand, our Lord teaches us to love our enemies, forgive our persecutors, lend without expecting anything in return. Definitely not an easy road to take, but it is a road that is full of freedom, meaning, and love.

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Givers, listen to this: “Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” Yes, God was never outdone in generosity!

Take the road of giving, and you will experience a life filled with joy and meaning.

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The happiest people I have met in my lifetime are the givers; the most miserable people I have met are the takers, the self-centered, the selfish, and the proud people who equate their identity with their wealth, their power, their looks, their intelligence, and their so-called achievements. May our lives not be hollow, our hearts not be shallow, and our minds not be narrow.

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“For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” True. Very true. Somebody put it so well. “When God increases your standard of living, you too must increase your standard of giving.”

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Please check today the measure, the quantity of your giving. Please check also the quality of your giving: are you a cheerful giver; are you a showy giver; are you a loud giver; are you a manipulative giver?

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Let us choose leaders who are givers. Let’s do away with takers, cheaters, and stealers. Give us good leaders, Lord, who will not take away from us what belongs to us, and will not deprive us of our freedom, peace, and our future.

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God is good, loving, and merciful. May we become more like Him in our own little way. May we likewise be kind, compassionate, merciful, and understanding toward one another.

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I prayed for five-year-old Aya yesterday. She has stage 4 cancer of the stomach. My heart was crying when I saw how she prayed so sincerely when we were praying before St. Ezekiel Moreno, Patron of Cancer patients. And how my heart leaped with joy when I saw a beautiful smile on her face when I told her she will be well, if it be God’s will. So simple, so trusting, so joyful. Shouldn’t we be all? Yes, we have a loving, and giving God and Father!

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At 68, I am now less focused on hard work. Been there, done that. Now is the time to focus more on heart work. My humble prayer now is: Lord bless the work of my hands, but more so, and increase the love in my heart. Amen!

A Moment with our Lord:Lord, help us to live a life full of giving, and thanksgiving. Amen!

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