The Initiative to be Charitable

My Beloved, the Benevolent

Peace and grace wishing you all goodness and every blessing.

I would like to contemplate with you in this letter on taking the initiative to do charitable deeds and encouraging others as well. Taking example from St. Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians in which he encouraged them to do good deeds and helping their needy brethren in Jerusalem. St. Paul called this service “the service for the saints” 2 Cor. 9:1. Let us read in a spirit of prayer the words of St. Paul the apostle to the Corinthians “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing. Imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us-see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandments, but by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Cor 8:1-9

From these verses we confer three main principles enticing us and others in doing good deeds:

1. Good deeds and alms giving is a blessing from God. When St. Paul presented the people of the Macedonian church as an example, he did not present it as the work of humans, but as the grace of God working in the Macedonians, blessing them in doing good deeds and gave us a great example which St. Paul described in detail and we’ll elaborate on it later. St. Paul called this service, the service to the needy “grace” 2 Cor. 8:7

He also discussed in his epistle the passion of the Macedonians in doing charitable deeds “Imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” 2 Cor. 8:4. He also mentioned “For you know the grace our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9

The service of the saints, which is helping the needy, is grace from God.

May the grace of God move our hearts with passion toward others and towards giving. May God grant us to feel other’s needs and suffering. May the grace of God help us not to be self centered and sacrifice for the sake of others. May the grace of God help us care about our heavenly reward and not praise from people. May the grace of God give us strength to continue in doing good deeds no matter how much difficulties we face. May the Grace of God grant us to do good deeds for all even our enemies.

Service to the needy is a grace and a blessing to us. A person, whose heart moves to do good deeds, gets the blessing of serving Christ Himself. St. John Chrysostom praised the virtue of giving and considers it a blessing greater than that of raising the dead. St. John Chrysostom said “Great is the gift of giving (Service to the needy) it is greater than raising the dead. It is much greater to feed Christ when hungry than raising the dead in Jesus name. In the first case you are doing the good deed to Christ Himself, in the second case Christ is doing a good deed for you. Definitely, you get the reward when doing good deeds, not when you are granted one. Because in performing a miracle you are indebted to God, but in doing good deeds and alms giving, God is indebted to you.” Is there a greater blessing than this?

2. St. Paul the apostle confirmed that growing in the virtue of giving is the fruit of growing in spiritual life. Generosity in giving does not depend on material riches, but on spiritual riches.

In the example of the Macedonian church, St. Paul revealed their generous giving in spite of their financial disparity and the secret behind their persistence to accept gifts and contributions above their means saying “And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” 2 Cor.8:7

A person will be capable of giving the needy when he offers his heart to God first. Therefore the best way to encourage people to alms giving is to lead them to give their hearts to God first. To be continued.

May the Lord bless your lives, your giving, and grant you to grow in this virtue, the virtue of serving the saints through Santa Verena Charity.

God Bless you