The book of Sirach may not be one you are familiar with unless you have studied the Old Testament or, perhaps, grew up in the Catholic faith. Sirach 35:1-12 speaks of stewardship and sacrifice which is quite relevant for us, today. 1 He who keeps the law makes many offerings; he who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering. 2 He who returns a kindness offers fine flour, and he who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering. 3 To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord, and to forsake unrighteousness is atonement. 4 Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, 5 for all these things are to be done because of the commandment. 6 The offering of a righteous man anoints the altar, and its pleasing odor rises before the Most High. 7 The sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable, and the memory of it will not be forgotten. 8 Glorify the Lord generously, and do not stint the first fruits of your hands. 9 With every gift show a cheerful face, and dedicate your tithe with gladness. 10 Give to the Most High as he has given, and as generously as your hand has found. 11 For the Lord is the one who repays, and he will repay you sevenfold. 12 Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. Giving is more than a financial matter. God wants us to give of ourselves fully and completely. We give with a joyful heart and with eagerness rather than grudgingly and as meagerly as possible. I believe, with the teachings of Jesus, that it is no longer about the “minimum requirements” of a 10% tithe, but a matter of 100% stewardship. It is about everything and not “just” figuring out “what amount” is the 10% for tithing. What do I do with all that I have? How do I treat everything I am given and everything I have? That is, my life, my dreams/hopes, my possessions, my finances, my time, my calendar, my willingness to obey….you get it…it covers everything. The question is not “how much do I tithe” but “Am I a good steward of all my resources?” For example, I have a car…so how do I “steward” my car? Can you use it to give someone a ride to a doctor’s appointment? Your home…do you have a spare bedroom to “house” a family member or a visiting missionary? Your time….can you invest a few hours to attend a weekday Bible study or teach a Sunday School class? There are many ways to “steward” what has been given to you. We have so many ways to sacrifice things that are important to us. The Lord revealed to the Jewish people that sacrifices entailed more than material things. He revealed not only the care for all possessions and the law, but also the sacrifice of obedience. For example, “To keep the law is a great oblation, and he who observes the commandments sacrifices a peace offering” (Sirach 35:1). The Lord also revealed the sacrifice of charity. “In works of charity one offers fine flour, and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise” (Sirach 35:2). Next, He revealed the sacrifice of justice, or at least of avoiding injustice (Sirach 35:3). Jesus revealed that sacrifices involved even more. He referred to the sacrifice of persecution (Mark 10:30). He ultimately offered the complete sacrifice of Himself on Calvary (Mark 10:34). As we try to live our Christian lives in holiness and “onward toward perfection” (Sanctification), we too are called to make sacrifices in the areas of time, loves, money, and possessions (see Acts 2:42ff). All that we are entrusted to be “stewards” of also has within it something to give back. Sacrifice and giving go hand-in-hand. As we do this, we realize our human-nature (sinfulness) challenges us to often think of justifying and finding excuses to minimize our sacrifices, despite knowing better that God is calling us and expecting us to maximize our sacrifices. The Lord wants us to learn “how to share in His sufferings by being formed into the pattern of His death” (Philippians 3:10). We are to be stewards of everything. We need to develop a healthy understanding of “sacrifice” which is going “above and beyond.” Don’t be stingy with your time, talents and treasure. Don’t be meager with the investments you make within the Church you attend. Don’t become possessed by your possessions. “Giving” to God is our finances, but it is also our obedience, time, talents, abilities, leisure, and every aspect of our life. Start to look at “all you have” as gifts and blessings from God that have been entrusted to you to care and manage. Think of all the things you have not as “my property,” but as treasures God has given you to care for as His “steward” (Matthew 25:14-30). Develop a healthy faith-life of learning how to embrace the life-giving words of “stewardship” and “sacrifice” into your spiritual vocabulary.
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Perseverance of Paul While a student at Liberty University, I always remembered the words of Dr. Jerry Falwell who told us “You do not determine a man’s greatness by his talents or wealth, as the world does, but rather by what it takes to discourage him.” It is safe to say, when the heat is turned up or when obstacles and challenges mount, we feel like it is so much easier to just throw up our hands, quit, and sometimes, just give up completely. It’s not easy to get the wind knocked out of you and face having to start all over again. The same can be said for the Church. When life is challenged, forces bear down on us, and commitments get out of hand, it always seems that the Church and ministry-related events are the first things we get rid of in order to gain more room in our schedule. Let’s be honest that we struggle with making God, our faith, and ministry a priority. I believe when the first response is to skip Church, not attend Church events, or to simply quit, give up and go home, we can learn from Paul when he faced such challenges to “stop trying so hard.” He had plenty of reasons to just throw in the towel and say “this just isn’t worth it!” We find a near-death encounter of Paul in Acts 14. After being beaten unconscious, dragged out of the town of Lystra, and left for dead, Paul regained consciousness and went back into Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). He did what? Yes, he assessed his situation, yet chose to persevere! He didn’t give up, but continued on with his mission to minister to the people who just tried to kill him. Personally, I think I would be inclined to go to the hospital and then find a reputable lawyer to sue for damages! I might even “take a few months off” to recuperate to give myself adequate time to “recover.” No. Not really….that misses the point of what Paul faced. Paul was fearless, unstoppable, and persevering. God, his calling, living and teaching the Gospel meant that much to him. After leaving Lystra, he soon returned to reassure the disciples and encourage “them to persevere in the faith” (Acts 14:22). Paul had earned a lot of credibility when he talked about perseverance. He had cuts, wounds, and bruises, which were the price he paid for holding firm with perseverance. His compassion for the lost was deep and held as a high priority in his life. Paul proclaimed: “I put no value on my life if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). From prison, Paul wrote: “My entire attention is on the finish line as I run toward the prize to which God calls me — life on high in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). When he spoke of his imminent death, Paul asserted: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Where are you in your faith journey today? We pray you are fully supporting your Church or Parish with passion, heart, and with “sweat equity” such as service, prayer, time and finances. We pray that you are being intentional with staying in tune with what is going on by reading newsletters, bulletins, websites, and social media platforms that provide access and information on the many opportunities you have to fellowship, serve, and be a part of the Church family and Church’s ministry. Many Churches struggle heavily with the burden from many members who just come on Sunday and that is about it. Many who are already serving are slowly burning out due to being overwhelmed with no support. Do you realize that some church classes have to disbanded or consolidated with others due to lack of attendance? Sometimes, the reason events are canceled is because nobody will sign up to go! Sadly, documentation, statistics, and figures show us this is true and that these are just a few of the many struggles within a lot of churches to “persevere like Paul” to keep moving forward. Do you realize that most Churches have seen a 20-30% decrease in attendance and finances over the last two years? We can blame the pandemic, COVID, and all the various restrictions we navigated to be our excuse, but the reality is that we are talking about active members who have literally “vanished” from the Church and haven’t been seen since. They left and just aren’t coming back…at all. It’s time to reconsider what we faced in comparison to what Paul faced. Actually, there is no comparison as Paul blows us out of the water in terms of being totally sold-out to the Gospel and sharing the Good News despite threats, obstacles, and personal injury. Paul persevered because Jesus persevered. Paul loved Jesus with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Paul was passionate about living and loving like Jesus. Paul lived with zeal to pattern his life after Jesus. After all, Jesus was the “Chief of Perseverance” as He “set His face” toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and toward Calvary to face crucifixion. Jesus promised: “Whoever holds out till the end will escape death,” that is, the second death of eternal separation from God in Hell” (Matthew 10:22). Let us evaluate the depth of our faith and where we stand right now and choose Jesus! Make the necessary shift in priorities, commitments and loves so that we are not guilty of idolatry (Exodus 20:3-5). Let’s align ourselves to the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22). Let us persevere like Paul and make, once again, the Kingdom of God, the Gospel and reaching the lost our highest priority. Could you join me in praying the Prayer of St. John Vianney: I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally. My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath. Amen. |
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April 2024
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