“Accept what He gives, and give what He takes—with a big smile!” is a well-known quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta. This quote, combined with today’s readings, puts a new spin on the virtue of generosity.
To me, generosity has always meant having plenty and sharing with joy. I think of things like having plenty of food at dinner—or dividing up a pot of soup and sharing it. When I am working, I think of letting a client go beyond the hour in a session if need be. I think of sharing vegetables from the garden or giving gifts that are especially meaningful.
In those circumstances, I love to be generous. It comes easy for me.
I see Mother Teresa as a wonderful example of generosity, and so I went looking through some books about her this morning to find a story to begin this reflection. I read stories, but it was the quote “Accept what He gives, and give what He takes—with a big smile” that stood out in what I read.
God is using it today to stretch my heart. It may stretch your heart, too.
Let’s look at the readings.
St. Paul
At first glance the first reading may not seem terribly relevant today. St. Paul is talking about “giving scandal” by eating meat sacrificed to pagan gods. It was a hot issue in Paul’s day. In Jewish culture, the meat sacrificed in the temple was then distributed to people to eat. It was a celebration, a sharing in both the worship of the sacrifice and in celebration of belonging to Yahweh, to God. Christians understood that their God was THE God. So, from one point of view, if non-Christian friends or merchants in the marketplace offered them meat that had been sacrificed to a Roman or Greek god, it was not a big deal. It was just meat. But, from another point of view, if a fellow Greek Christian or potential Roman convert saw Corinthian Christians eating meat sacrificed to Greek or Roman gods, it was disturbing. To them that meant that the Christians were “hedging their bets” and worshiping Yahweh through Christ while also quietly honoring pagan gods.
So Paul says, “Stop. Be generous. Consider things from your brother’s point of view. Even though you know you are just eating meat, your brother doesn’t understand. You are interfering with his faith journey. Give it up if it causes others to stumble or doubt.”
Application Today
So how might I give scandal today? Well, the use of that word calls up the issues of sexual abuse in the Church. Because of Church efforts to prevent any future abuse, in our diocese, all of us who work in any way with youth or vulnerable adults are required to take “safe environment training.” That is training to not only educate us about the needs to be on the alert for anyone who might be “grooming” a youth for abuse, but it also means that many behaviors done by the innocent are no longer ok. You do not take someone else’s child home after an activity if you are going to be alone with them in your car. Adults do not send emails to kids—even if it is a youth leader reminding them to bring their canned food donations to youth group Sunday. Emails go through parents. Doors to closets in church are to be kept locked. Sometimes complying is taxing. But—to keep from giving anyone the wrong perspective, we all need to conscientiously keep church environments safe. We need to avoid giving scandal.
Not that different from not eating meats sacrificed to idols. Lord, let me do that generously, with a smile.
The Gospel
The Gospel today is a continuation of what St. Luke calls “The Sermon on the Plain.” It is his version of St. Matthew’s longer Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ words and thoughts today are also written there. They are strong words.
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
… love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
A Tough Standard for Generosity
Jesus’ standard for generosity is not about sharing extra vegetables or giving some of your time. Jesus generosity isn’t about giving your extra at all. I bolded 15 things Jesus asks today that are a tough standard of generosity.
For Jesus, it is about giving until it hurts, giving when it hurts—with a big smile.
The “big smile” means cheerfully, willingly, with free gift of your heart. Without feeling put upon, deprived, or justified as virtuous.
It is a radical shift.
Jesus asks us as Christians to be generous and accepting of the sins and weaknesses of others—while NOT responding in protective or attacking ways. In fact, we are asked to let hurts, wounds, injustices, and sacrifices go with the same attitude we would share a pot of soup or an hour of time.
Why? For the same reason, I think: When we freely let go of what we have, we are like Jesus. We are living as Jesus in our little corner of the world today. We have opportunities to bring about the Kingdom of God as we live our ordinary lives.
As St. John Chrysostom, whose memorial we celebrate today, said it:
“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”
Or, again to quote Mother Teresa:
“You are the spouses of Jesus Crucified. Be that joy, that peace wherever you go. Whatever work is given to you, do it with joy. Be heart and soul and mind only all for Jesus. If you are only all for Him, you have nothing to fear. The greatest suffering, the greatest humiliation will be the greatest gift for you.”
“If you are determined to become holy, grab each humiliation as your chance; do not let it go down into your heart—let it go straight, from one ear in and from the other out. These little humiliations are the gifts of God.”
Prayer
Lord, today you show me a perspective on generosity that is both exciting and frightening. It is exciting, because I love the easy generosity of sharing, and this shows me how to bring that attitude to parts of life I do not like: times of conflict, misunderstanding, humiliation, and unchosen sacrifice. I do not have a generous heart then, Lord. You know that. I grumble and lie awake in the night justifying myself. When I do that, I feel my heart harden. I sense you growing distant. But, if I could smile and mean it—if I could accept what life gives me as coming from you, Lord, and give back to you a generous response WITH A SMILE—yes, Lord, that would be wonderful! Lord, move me at least a little closer to that today. Don’t let me sit in fear of giving up self-righteousness, for it is a fragile, false holiness. True holiness is being like you–with a smile.
