Giving it all away

Today’s readings (2 Cor. 9:6-10 and Jn. 12:24-26) are proper to today’s Feast of St. Lawrence. The common theme is very clear: giving.

One reason for this may be a story about St. Lawrence’s last days. He was a deacon of the Diocese of Rome and had been left in charge of its treasury – the bishop and 6 other deacons having just been martyred. The Imperial government ordered him to hand everything over.

Rather than do that, it is said that Lawrence distributed the contents of the diocesan treasury to the poor of the city. When he appeared before the authorities, they asked him where the treasures of the Church were. Lawrence pointed to the crowd of the sick and the poor that had come with him. “Here,” he said, “Are the treasures of the Church.”

Today’s readings and St. Lawrence’s example may be very challenging to us. We would like to be generous, to help the poor and to give glory to God, but we live in uncertain times and our personal finances may be tight.

To be sure, it is good for us to be prudent. Moreover, if we have responsibilities for others (children or other relatives), we have a solemn obligation to be prudent with the resources we have.

On the other hand, how much of our time and money is not being used for truly worthy purposes but is instead being sucked dry by the lifestyle of today’s world?

(May God have mercy on me.)

Certainly we should not be irresponsible, but could we not spend more of our time and money for better purposes?

Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully
will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined,
without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.

Whoever loves his life
loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.