Daily Liturgy
Wednesday 16 June
Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
GIVING GENEROUSLY
Introduction
Both Jesus and Paul in Year I speak to us today on sincere and generous sharing. To Paul, the generous, spontaneous givers are ministers of God’s goodness; by giving thanks to God for what they themselves have received they are further enriching themselves by sharing. Giving – also praying and doing penance – must be done for the sake of God, says Jesus, not to congratulate oneself or to be admired by others. It would be good for us, for our Catholic organizations and institutions of the Church to remember that we have no monopoly on charity, that God is present in every act of love and sharing, also when not bearing the Catholic label. True love is discreet, like God’s.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you let your Holy Spirit fill us spontaneously
with every good gift.
You want us to be to everyone
ministers of your generosity.
Help us to express our gratitude to you
and to reveal your goodness
by sharing what we are and have
with joy and in all sincerity,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you for ever.
Reading 1: 2 Cor 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.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9
(1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia: Jn 14:23
Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Intercessions
- That we may be discreet and unobtrusive in helping people in need, we pray:
- That we may learn to see the unspoken needs of modest, simple, timid people, we pray:
- That the Lord may make us generous of heart and hands, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you give us not only all things we need
but you give us the best of yourself
in your Son Jesus Christ.
Accept from our hands
these humble gifts of bread and wine,
which we have received from you
and through them let your Son come among us.
May they express that we too
are willing to share with others
without putting labels and price tags on our gifts,
and to give ourselves with Jesus,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, our Father in heaven,
your own gifts are often humble and veiled,
like the giving to us of your Son
in the signs of bread and wine.
God, who look in the depths of our hearts,
teach us to share without display,
that our left hand not know
what our right hand is giving.
Let it be enough for us to know that you know,
who are our Father
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Blessing
If we only love those who love us, we merely do what some people do who do not believe. We should not exclude anyone from our love, for that is the mark of the followers of Christ, to love people, as we love ourselves! May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
The clear message of today’s scripture is to avoid ostentation—or prideful showiness—in any form. Whether it is donations, praying, or fasting, what you do should be solely between you and God. There is a great temptation to let others know of our spiritual practices. Of course, there are times when we legitimately speak of our spiritual lives without the intention of drawing attention to ourselves. But if we use religion in any way to advance our personal agenda, the value of our spiritual actions is diminished.
There is nothing in and of itself wrong with publicly performing an action of faith or prayer. Public charitable contributions can be very good, and communal (or public) prayer certainly has its place in our lives. It is when these things are done expressly to attract attention that they are misdirected.
Paul today applauds generosity and concern for others. “God loves a cheerful giver.” God has provided for our needs, and in being generous with them, they are not diminished. If we are the providers of seed for the field and bread for the table, we are assured a good harvest, “the harvest of your righteousness.”
The poor widow who provided food for Elijah in his hunger was rewarded. Her personal store of food, despite drought and famine, was never exhausted. If we give of what we have with love and kindness, whether we are rich or poor, we will never be the losers.
Points to Ponder
Attracting attention in doing good
Doing good for its own sake
The spirit of generosity