7 Give alms from what you have to those who act justly and do good. Do not be grudging when you give alms. Do not turn away your face from anyone who is poor so that God may not turn away his face from you. 8 Give alms in proportion to the amount you have; if you have little, do not be afraid to give alms according to the little you have.9 In this way you are storing up treasure against the day of tribulation, because 10 almsgiving frees us from death and keeps us from wandering in the darkness. 11 For, in fact, almsgiving is, for the one who practices it, a precious treasure in the eyes of God.
Beloved, it is important to give alms because it makes us sensitive to the needs of others. Quite often we are reluctant to give because we are afraid we will not have enough for ourselves or our children. But Scripture shows time and time again that You are pleased, in fact that You love a cheerful giver. We must give cheerfully trusting You to take care of our tommorrows.
Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-- 5:1
22 It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife. 23 The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God’s promise.
24 Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants. The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot. 26 But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free. 27 And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.31 Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.5 • 1 Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
The yoke of slavery is sin. When we are trapped by sin there is no escape. We take it wherever we go and we are limited in the places that we can enter when we are yoked by it. Sin brings darkness, sadness and it bears down upon our spirit - truly there is no escape from it, except in the most beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation. Yesterday's Mass readings so beautifully illustrate this. We have to show ourselves to the Priest, and the Priest has to declare us clean before we can be restored to the family of God and to the Church.
Luke 11:29-32
29 As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. 30 As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. 32The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah.
"My most beloved Jesus, You could not have put it more plainly to the people of Your time who heard You and yet they refused to listen. 2000 plus years later the vast majority still refuses to listen. You did it all - no more proof is required and yet so many simply do not get it. Why Lord?"
"Because it means a radical change and people are too comfortable with the mediocre and the inane. Great love demands great sacrifice. Everything in the Christian life is a contradiction. Only those with eyes see, with ears hear."
Psalm 113:5-7 5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who sits enthroned on high,
6 but also bends down to see
on earth as in heaven?
7 He lifts up the poor from the dust
and the needy from the ash heap.
Who indeed!!!!
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