20210615 PERFECTION IN GIVING
15 June, 2021, Tuesday, 11th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Corinthians 8:1-9 © |
The Lord Jesus was rich but became poor for your sake
Now here, brothers, is the news of the grace of God which was given in the churches in Macedonia; and of how, throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. I can swear that they gave not only as much as they could afford, but far more, and quite spontaneously, begging and begging us for the favour of sharing in this service to the saints and, what was quite unexpected, they offered their own selves first to God and, under God, to us.
Because of this, we have asked Titus, since he has already made a beginning, to bring this work of mercy to the same point of success among you. You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. It is not an order that I am giving you; I am just testing the genuineness of your love against the keenness of others. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 145(146):2,5-9 © |
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
It is he who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | 2Co5:19 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn13:34 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 5:43-48 © |
Pray for those who persecute you
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
PERFECTION IN GIVING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Cor 8:1-9; Ps 146:2,5-9; Mt 5:43-48 ]
St Paul writing to the rich Corinthians appealed to them for their generosity to help the mother church in Jerusalem which was financially poor. It would also help to forge a stronger relationship between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. Helping poorer churches is an obligation as all Christians are members of the family of God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are members of the body of Christ. Indeed, when St Paul came up to Jerusalem to settle the question of circumcision of Gentile Christians, the leaders agreed that Paul and Barnabas “should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.” (Gal 2:9f)
St Paul did not begin by asking for money but by providing an example of Christian generosity and sacrificial giving among the Macedonian churches. What was most heartening about the Macedonian Christians was that they gave from their poverty. They themselves were undergoing severe trials themselves, leaving them in extreme poverty. They were also persecuted in their faith. But these trials did not stop them from remaining cheerful and from “their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity.” They gave not only as much as they could but beyond. St Paul said, “I can swear that they gave not only as much as they could afford, but far more.” Indeed, when we give from our abundance, we are simply giving the scraps from a rich man’s table of abundance. But when we give from our poverty, we are truly giving ourselves entirely, just like the way the Lord said of the widow at the Temple. “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Lk 21:3)
Secondly, true giving must be free and spontaneous. St Paul wrote that the Macedonians “quite spontaneously, begging and begging us for the favour of sharing in this service to the saints.” They gave entirely on their own accord and instead of expecting gratitude from their recipients, they saw it as a grace to br given the opportunity to support their poorer brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. There was no coercion of whatever sort. They gave willingly and freely. It must not be seen as an obligation. This is true generosity. When we have to coerce, make people give through an exchange of favour, or in return for public recognition, such generosity is tainted by pride and self-centeredness. We remember what the Lord said at the Sermon on the Mount, “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Thirdly, all giving is a service to the gospel and given to the Lord. St Paul wrote, “what was quite unexpected, they offered their own selves first to God and, under God, to us.” We are giving to God, not to men. There are some who give to the church more out of obligation than out of conviction that they are called to be co-responsible in the spread of the gospel to all of humanity. We must never forget that what we give is given to the Lord, for the spread of the gospel and for His greater glory. Instead, often we do not give with the larger picture of participating in the spread of the gospel. We only think of ourselves, our parish, our organization and even of our archdiocese. The concern of the Macedonians was how they could give themselves to Christ and serve Him with their life. If they gave out of their poverty, it was because they wanted to serve Christ and this means not allowing their economic situation to prevent them from being involved in the work of the gospel.
Fourthly, St Paul reminded the Corinthians that the more we are blessed, the more we are called to give. Compared to the Macedonians, they should be giving more because they have been blessed in many ways, spiritually and financially. “You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. It is not an order that I am giving you; I am just testing the genuineness of your love against the keenness of others.” Therefore, those who are rich in God’s blessings but do not help their fellow Christians show that their love for Christ is not genuine. It is all nice feelings but no action. Love is not all talk or even nice feelings but it demands real and personal sacrifices on our part.
Yet, even if we give to our fellow Christians and for the spread of the gospel, it is not enough. We are called to perfect our giving by giving to our enemies as well. Jesus had already challenged the scribe to go beyond caring for his fellow Jews but even his enemies, in the story of the Good Samaritan. (Lk 10:29-37) This is why Christian charity goes beyond just caring for our fellow Catholics but extends to all regardless of race, language and religion, simply because as the Lord said, the Heavenly Father “causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.” We are called to love all God’s children because they too have been created in His image and likeness. If our love is only confined to fellow Catholics, then it is an exclusive love. The Lord rightly says, “For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not?”
Beyond material giving, the heart of giving is forgiveness. This is the highest form of giving. Many of us can give our things away but we cannot forgive those who have hurt us. This is why the Lord said, “You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven.” The best way to love our enemies is to do good to them and pray for them. Prayer is the only way to heal our anger and resentment against those who have hurt us. St Paul wrote, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:19-21) Indeed, we can win our enemies only by continuing to do good for them and most of all, to pray for them.
This is why if we want to be perfected in love, we must learn from our Lord. St Paul said, “Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.” We must imitate the Lord who emptied Himself first of His divinity and majesty by assuming our humanity, and then became a servant even unto death. (Phil 2:6-8) He suffered death on the cross for our salvation. He emptied Himself completely for us and even at the cross, He prayed for His enemies. (Lk 23:34) Like St Paul and the early Christians, we cannot give ourselves to others in agape love, a love without conditions unless we have first given ourselves completely to Christ. This explains why in a priestly ordination the priest prostrates in front of the altar. Unless he surrenders himself completely to the Lord, Christ cannot make use of Him and he cannot be truly configured in Christ. When we have given ourselves to the Lord wholeheartedly, then the concrete acts of giving would be much easier, even forgiving our enemies. When Jesus said, “You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect”, He is not speaking about metaphysical abstract ideas of perfection. To be perfect means to be who we truly are, sons and daughters of God created in His image and likeness. When we put on the heart and mind of Christ as Jesus did on the cross, we too can say we are perfected.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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