Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost; The Holy Priest-Martyr Hierotheus, Bishop of Athens; Ammon the Anchorite (350); Vladimir, Prince of Novgorod and his mother, Anne (1051); our Venerable Father Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Luke 5:1-11
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Do you remember that Mastercard ad that came out all those years ago which featured the young athlete preparing to represent his county at the Olympics? All his fellow villagers came out to present him with gifts: handmade blankets to keep him warm, food to eat, even a passionate kiss from a young woman “for inspiration.” Finally, a wizened old man approached slowly with the words “this is all you need” while handing him his Mastercard. He doesn’t mention anything about a spending limit, just adds excitedly “and bring me back a T-Shirt!” He essentially gives this young man a blank cheque and is joyful in doing so!
St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Christians is concerned with them preparing the gift of charity to help support their fellow Christians. Providing sparingly leads to sparse results, while generous giving results in bountiful results. God has given us a blank cheque and he expects us to give all of ourselves in return. It’s not simply about the amount of money however! The quality of the gift matters. The gift should not make you sad or be a forced expectation, but an act of love which ultimately brings joy.
Don’t be discouraged if every time you write a cheque to support your parish or for another charitable cause you don’t do a small dance of joy. The good news for today is that generosity can be trained, just like any other virtue. The more you practice giving joyfully, without counting the cost, the easier you will find it. You will find that you will rely less and less on your money or other earthly opportunities and more and more on the source of all your gifts and privileges: God Himself. Let us practice being the cheerful givers the Ultimate Gift-giver wants us to be!