For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.(2 Corinthians 8:9 NABRE)
About 24 years after Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, Saint Paul sent Titus to Corinth in part on a fundraising mission for the needs of fellow Christians in Jerusalem. Today's verse is part of his letter which describes the need in Jerusalem and, more importantly, the disposition of the giver.
Generosity. The giving Saint Paul describes is spontaneous, simple and sincere. There is an urgency in the desire to give which he depicts because the givers considered the act of giving to be participation in the service of the Church. He reflects on the ideals of sharing and equality within the Christian community. For Paul, the Church has a "singleness of purpose that manifests itself in generous giving."* This type of giving, ultimately, is a giving of self, which reflects the ultimate gift of Jesus on the cross, when he literally gave himself up for us.
Today, I will seek this disposition of generosity so that by example my sharing may draw others to the cross of Christ.
Saint John Francis Regis, whose faith and goodness touched others and brought them to deeper faith, pray for us.
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