💖 HOMILY - AUGUST 10 💖

FEAST OF ST. LAWRENCE, MARTYR 

First Reading - 2 Corinthians 9:6-10

Gospel - John 12:24-26

Many like to receive things from others but when it comes to sharing with others, a little of something that they have, that makes them reticent and reluctant. The readings of the day invite us to overcome the barrier of being selfish and hoarding and become selfless in sharing with others so that our generosity will bear fruits in abundance.

In the first reading, St. Paul exhorts the Christians in the Roman province of Achaea to become generous for "God loves a cheerful giver." He urges the community to be generous in sharing their resources with the fellow Christians in Jerusalem as it was suffering from famine and that had aggravated the life of Christians in Jerusalem. Consequently, the Christians were suffering from the famine and also due to the lack of provisions. The letter also strikes out a group of Christians who were unwilling to share or were suspicious about the collection made to alleviate the life of Christians in Jerusalem. However, St. Paul encourages them also to overcome their reserved mentality and become sharers of joy and thanksgiving by sharing their material wealth with the needy. It's to say, he asks them to share joyfully and promises them that their act of generosity will be certainly regarded by God.

The gospel presents a beautiful example of self-giving or generosity to the last drop. Jesus picks a splendid example of the wheat that falls into the soil to grow and bear fruits in abundance. The implication of this passage unfolds; on the one side, the generous self-giving of Jesus as the wheat grains to death so that much fruits of eternal life for many may be produced; and on the other side, it also invites us to become generous in offering our life for the sake of Jesus, so that we will secure it and gain eternal life. The "offering of our life" means self-gift of ours to God, thus God becomes the means and end of our lives. 

My dear friends, one of lines from the peace prayer of St. Francis Assisi says: "It is in giving that we receive." Our life becomes joyful and thanksgiving to God in our generous love shown to the needy and abandoned. Although by giving we lose something but by this action we serve Jesus and because of this action, God, the Father will also honour us as the gospel assures us today. 

St. Paul exhorted Christians to become generous towards the needy Christians in Jerusalem and this becomes the reason to win the love of God, so also we are encouraged to become generous with our material possessions to win the love of God. 

The virtue of generosity doesn't only include the material possessions but also our life as well. As we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence who was generous with his life to offer that to God rather than give in to the pressure of apostasy at the face of fierce torture and persecution. He becomes an epitome of generosity. We are also invited on this day to become generous with our life - in terms of time, talents, and gifts we are endowed with. If we are willing to afford our time for a needy person, we certainly wear the virtue of generosity. If we are willing to use our talents and gifts for the good of the community, we become generous with our life. Our each act of generosity will certainly never go unrewarded but will find favour in the sight of God who is generous in love.