Give What You Can

3 Mar

“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.”
~ St. Gregory Nazianzen

At Mass yesterday, we heard one of my favorite Gospel stories: the sheep and the goats.  This is a story that always speaks to me.  Two distinct groups of people are gathered together at the end of time and meet the Lord.  One group is commended for being kind and gracious to Him in life and the other group is condemned for having nothing to do with Him.

Both groups have the same reaction:  When did we meet you?

The sheep were commended because each time they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and the distressed and the like they did it to and for the Lord.  The goats, on the other hand, were not commended.  Instead they were condemned and they found out that the Lord was in all the people who, throughout their lives, they neglected.

We have a responsibility to serve the Lord.  This is difficult when we realize that He is in everyone around us.  If only He were in the people that we liked and about whom we cared.  If that were the case, that would be so much easier.  However, He is also in those whom we do not like, those we tend to shy away from or shun, and those whom we detest.

But, you know, come to think about it, we should not dislike, shy away from, shun, or detest anybody.  We are, after all, brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Yes, we may be a dysfunctional family at times; but, we should take responsibility for one another and make sure that the needs of all are met.

FAITH ACTION:  No matter how small it may be, share your blessings with others today.  Give freely and cheerfully and let God supply what may be lacking.