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2 Corinthians 9: 6-11:
Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God.
The Word of the Lord.
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“God loves a cheerful giver,” Saint Paul tells us in our first reading.
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But what, exactly, is a cheerful giver? Can one gift more pleasing than another?
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The medieval Jewish philosopher, Maimonides, defined eight different levels of giving. The least fruitful form is giving grudgingly, out of a sense of obligation.
I’m sure we’ve all been there before.
For example, we’re stopped at a red light. Suddenly, a person walks up to our window holding a paper cup. While we may be tempted to look away, we roll down our window, try to smile and offer a dollar.
Obligation: the lowest form of giving.
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The more we give from our heart, the more pleasing the gift becomes.
For example, the next highest form of giving, Maimonides says, is giving less than we should, but doing so cheerfully.
Better than that is giving a gift anonymously.
But the highest form of giving is giving enough to make sure a person’s dignity is never compromised; meaning, their lights don’t go out, they don’t taste the twinge of hunger, they have employment, and so on.
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Essentially, this is his point: see in another person the same dignity you see in yourself. Then we can give without expecting anything in return.
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What can I give to another person today, whether it’s my heart, my time, or my treasure?
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Whatever it may be, do it joyfully.
Because, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
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Image credits: (1) Truth For Life Blog (2) Mirriam-Webster (3) VirtueOnline