The Nature of Sharing

As you know, this past year we embarked upon the concept of stewardship and focused in on the sharing of our time.  Come this fall, we will introduce the notion of Stewardship of Treasure. 

Unfortunately, whenever the church talks about sharing our resources and the gifts of God, the assumption of many is that the church wants money and that the parish wants to increase its Sunday offering.  It is difficult to express all that money means.  It is the symbol of work and cleverness.  It is the equivalent of all that it can buy, of property, of comfort or luxury and of influence and power.  The world loves it, worships it and seeks it above everything else.  Many individuals make money the standard of value and material things.   One’s identity is often found in one’s money.  

The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of Jesus, however, have different principles and ultimately one has to make a choice of which kingdom to follow: that of the world and that of Jesus.  

The world asks: “What does a man own?”

• Jesus asks: “How does he use what I have given to him?” 

The world thinks more about money-getting. 

• Jesus thinks about gift-sharing.  

The world still asks: “What does one share?” 

• Jesus asks: “How does he share?” 

The world looks at money and its amounts.

• Jesus looks at the man and his motive (heart).

 We see this in the story of the poor widow.  Many that were rich gave much, but it was out of their abundance; there was no real sacrifice in it; their life was as full and comfortable as ever; it cost them nothing.  There was no special love or devotion to God in it; it was part of an easy and traditional religion.  The widow gave little, but out of her want she put in all that she had, even all her living.  She gave all to God with love. 

“He sat down opposite the treasure and observed how the crowd put money into the treasure.  Many rich people put in large sums.  A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.  Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them.  “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.  For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:41-44

Perhaps a good reflection to keep in mind as we begin our Stewardship of Treasure is the following "An Interview with God":

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked
“If you have the time” I said.
God smiled
“My time is eternity”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?...”
God answered...

“That they get bored with childhood.
They rush to grow up and then
long to be children again.”
“That they lose their health to make money
and then lose their money to restore their health.”
“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”
That they live as if they will never die,
and die as if they had never lived.”
God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for awhile
And then I asked...

“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

God replied with a smile
“To learn they cannot make anyone love them.
What they can do is let themselves be loved.”
“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”
“To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”
“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in persons we love,
and it takes many years to heal them.”
“To learn to forgive by
practicing forgiveness.”
“To learn that there are persons who love them dearly,
but simply do not know how to express or show
their feelings.”
“To learn that two people
can look at the same thing
and see it differently.”
“To learn that it is not always enough that they
be forgiven by others. But that they must
forgive themselves.”
“And to learn that I am here
always.” 

 REFLECTION 

• Am I meeting my responsibility for the needs of the poor and needy?
• Have I accepted the fact that I am part of the Christian outreach in the world today?

 All comes from God; share generously.