A Grain Of Wheat

We have all heard the expression, God loves a cheerful giver.  Like so many sayings we hear today, this one comes from the Bible; in fact, it is in today's first reading.  

"Each one should give as you have decided in your heart to give.  You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give.  God loves the person who gives happily."  2 Corinthians 9:7

Today is the feast day of St. Lawrence, the arch-deacon of the Diocese of Rome in the year of Our Lord 258.  One of Lawrence's responsibilities as deacon was to proclaim the Word of God, look after the material goods of the Church, and to care for the poor.  

Christianity was an illegal religion in Rome at that time.  Pope Sixtus II was put under civil arrest, and martyred.  Lawrence knew the Empire would come after him next.  When the civil authorities of Rome demanded that Lawrence produce the treasure of the Church, he told them he would do so, but said he needed a couple of days to get it together.  He sought out the poor, widows and orphans, the blind and the lame, and the lepers.  He gathered the money he had, and even sold the sacred vessels of the Church, and he disbursed it all to them.

When the prefect came for the Church's money, Lawrence simply pointed to the crowd and said, "Here is the treasure of the Church."   The prefect did not understand what Lawrence was saying.  Neither did he understand how Lawrence spent his life in the service of these poor people.  On August 10th, four days after the death of the pope, Lawrence was martyred.  

This is a feast of generosity and joy and abundance.  What Saint Lawrence did was reflect the generosity and joy and abundance of God.  He understood that the wealth of the Church was in the way our lives touch the lives of others.  We see God's generosity to us in the Gospel today; that unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth, it remains a grain, but if it dies it produces much abundant fruit.  We are called to produce abundant fruit, good works for the kingdom of God.

As we reflect on the feast day of St. Lawrence, let us ask the Lord to give us the courage and strength to joyfully and abundantly proclaim the goodness of God.  Let us remember that his Church is not about material things or money, rather it is about how our lives are connected to the lives of others; about serving one another, particularly the poor. 

Be blessed,

     lynda

Note:  I was inspired for today's ZIA by Helen Williams, where I learned to tangle the wheat.

Being Part of the Miracle

"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?  John 6:5

 John 6:1-15
Jesus didn't need Philip to tell him how they were going to feed the large crowd that had followed them.  He already knew what he was going to do. He knew the disciples were skeptical.  Rather than just taking care of the situation and performing his miracle, however, Jesus involved his disciples.  Philip saw the need; Andrew gathered the meager loaves and fishes from the boy; and the disciples told the people to sit down, and passed the loaves and gathered the leftovers.  The disciples were an important part of Jesus' miracle from start to finish.  He wanted the twelve to become familiar with the idea of performing miracles themselves.

The disciples gained confidence that day.  They learned to look at needs with eyes of compassion.  They learned to give Jesus their meager offerings, trusting him.  They learned to give thanks to God.  They learned to rely on the power of God, and to go forward to build the kingdom with confidence.

What can we learn from this story?  Do we realize that we are Jesus' disciples today, and that he wants to do the same thing for us?  Are we willing to become vessels of his grace in the world?

There are needy people all around us.  God is asking us to pay attention.  He is inviting us to join him in doing something about it.  If we listen for his direction and are willing to reach out in faith, we will see wonders.  We will be part of the miracle.

Be blessed,
     lynda

Rejoice! He Is Risen!

Today is Easter Sunday.  A day all about faith and family.
Today we wake up to candy and chocolate bunnies, hidden baskets laden with gifts.
Today we feast on roasted ham and scalloped potatoes and special traditional foods.
Today we dress up in our finest outfits to wear to church.
Today the choir sings with renewed vigor, and the entire congregation sings along, hardly able to contain our joy.
Today we hear the great news of Jesus' resurrection.

But not every Sunday is like Easter, is it?  It isn't every Sunday that we dress up for church.  If we are honest with ourselves, it isn't every Sunday that we may even want to go to church.  The message is not always the wonderful news of Jesus' resurrection.  Sometimes we hear the difficult things, the things that cause us to swallow the lump of conviction.  Sometimes we can't let go of our bitterness and fears long enough to hear God's voice.  Sometimes we just go through the motions, distracted by the din of our own busy-ness and pursuits. 

But it is every Sunday, in fact every moment of every day, that God loves us.  Every day he calls us to himself through our faith in his Son.  God has offered us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  Jesus secured this promise for us when he died on the cross and rose from the dead.  Because there was a resurrection, because there is Easter Sunday, we have hope.  Every day.  We have life.  We have His promise.  

Today we renew our baptismal vows.  We have a fresh start.  A chance to commit, again, to living the life of faith, the life of fullness in his love.   In light of the joy of the resurrection, we can proclaim, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Let us live our lives in that joy."

Be blessed,
     lynda