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.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
