BEING A JOYFUL GIVER

One of the significant advancements in the Navy is the jump from E3 to E4.  E1 to E3 are what we classify as a non-rated person and E4 is the promotion to Petty Officer.  The challenge is you are going from being one of the crew to being in charge of a crew.  The extremes for this promotion can be from trying to continue being one of the crew, using a friendship model of leadership, to the other extreme of letting the newly found power go to your head and the new Petty Officer Lords his power over his former shipmates.

I learned quickly, through the assistance of leaders I respected, that if you want to be a good leader you must be willingly give a piece of yourself for the sake of the crew and in some cases being willing to make a sacrifice.

Have you happened to notice that several of the scriptures we have been hearing lately start out with the title, “Beloved”.  It is an expression of intimacy that communicates the relationship our God desires with us and the price Jesus is willing to pay so that we can experience God’s desired intimacy with us, to the fullest.

When I considered these reading I thought us who are regular daily Mass attendees, who “have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart.”  (1 Pt 1:22) Not just each other but all of God’s children.

Here’s the challenge from scripture:

While Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus told them exactly what was going to happen, exactly what he was willing to give for them and the glory of his Heavenly Father.  Then in the next verse, James & John ask for the seats of honor in Jesus’ heavenly kingdom.  This Eucharistic sacrifice is not about what we will get but is about what we are willing to give.

Many say, “I am willing to give, IF I get something in return.”  When we place conditions on our compassion, on our service, on the Sacraments, or on our love we are not living according to the example of our Lord and Savior.

“But it shall not be so among you.”  (Mk 10:43) Jesus gave everything as a gift so that we could be truly free.  That’s what makes him great and worthy of our worship and loyalty.  If we try to give in a way that imitates Jesus’ generosity, we’ll become more Christlike, generously inviting others to receive His great gift of salvation.

As we receive, let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us to be joyful givers like Jesus.