Wednesday, June 16, 2021

SOWING IN CHARITY

                                         Meditation for Wednesday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time
                                                            (2 Cor 9:6-11; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18)

After describing the charitable acts of the Churches in Macedonia as the workings of grace, St Paul, in today’s reading, compares charity to sowing of seed in view of harvest. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” Charity begins from the mind and heart. The charitable person must make up his mind, and decide freely, not reluctantly or under compulsion. The prompting to charity is almost instantaneous and requires prompt and free response, “For God loves a cheerful giver.”

God Himself is the source and the motivational force behind every authentic act of charity. “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” That means the pattern of God’s charity towards us informs and empowers our acts of charity. And our acts of charity connect us to God’s providence. “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Also, the extent of our charity or our capacity for charity determines our capacity to receive divine providence. This is how our acts of charity become our sowing to reap harvests of God’s providence.

Therefore, we perform works of charity simply to please God and earn his favor. Jesus said in the Gospel of today, “But when you give alms, do not let your let hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” In this silent and ‘secret place’ of charity, the act performed translates into ‘self-offering’ to God. This, in turn, is viewed and received by the Father with graciousness of Jesus’ Self-Offering on the Cross. And the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ shall become our reward. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Wednesday June 16th, 2021.
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