LOVE, NOT WITH WORDS BUT WITH DEEDS | KAIROS GLOBAL | OCTOBER 2019

Author: Luke Varghese

Intro: Luke Varghese delves deeper into the real meaning of sharing. Through the scripture, he tries to throw light on the topic

Pope Francis established the World Day of the Poor in 2017. It is a day to spread awareness to the needs of  the poor and encourage people to take more action in serving them. The theme of the first World Day of  Poor was "Let us love, not with words but with deeds." The Holy See celebrated the Holy Mass with the poor  in St. Peter's Basilica and sat down with about 1500 people for a luncheon afterward, thereby setting us  an example. Why does Pope Francis always insist on helping the poor? Why is it so important to share with  the needy around us? The Holy Bible answers these questions.

1.      Sharing brings joy to the heart

 In the Gospel, we see Jesus frequently dining with people and spending time on discussions. Most of  His friends were the poor, the oppressed and the sinners. Our time and attention are as valuable as money  for the needy. A good example is the parable of the Good Samaritan. When the Good Samaritan went out of  his way to care for the injured, he showed us new meanings of sharing and caring. He not only bound up  the wounds by pouring on oil and wine and set the half-dead man on his donkey to the inn, but he also  gave money to meet the rest of his needs while he is away. He spent his skill, time and resources to serve the man who had been left alone on the roadside. When we give our love, time and advice, to those in  need, we express who we are. It brings divine joy to our hearts. 

Jesus teaches us to give to everyone who begs from you and does not refuse anyone who wants to  borrow from you. He does not want us to place conditions on the giving. He neither wants us to check  the worthiness of the recipient nor check how the money will be spent. When I was working in central  London, a homeless person sat at the gate of the Southwark cathedral every day, requesting help.  I  noticed that as soon I gave him the money, he ran into the nearby Starbucks for a latte. I had always thought  of latte as an expensive drink and never had one for myself. I stopped helping him for some time thinking  he was not using the money effectively. Later, I realized my mistake and asked for God's forgiveness. If  a Starbucks coffee is his happiness and probably his only joy, who am I to refuse him that?

2.      Sharing makes miracles happen

A little boy offered Jesus his five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9). Jesus had 5000 people to  be fed. But a small sharing from the boy allowed Jesus to meet the demands of the crowd and do the  miracle. The little boy risked his comfort to help others. The size of the share doesn't matter; the  important thing is the willingness to do so. We should learn to give cheerfully. St. Paul reminds us that "Each  of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for  God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7). Mother Teresa reminds us, "It's not how much we give but how  much love we put into giving." 

 3.      Sharing deposits treasures in heaven

In Mark 10:17-31, a young man runs up to Jesus and asks what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus  answers him, "give your possessions to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." We must feed  the hungry, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners. On the day of judgment,  He will tell the righteous that "when you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you  did it to Me" (Mathew 25:40). Depositing this treasure is not limited to the wealthy. Jesus valued the  widow's mite more than the offerings of the rich. He calls widow's offering a deposit whereas rich  man's offering as a mere gift.

4.     Sharing brings blessing

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done 

(Proverbs 19:17). The generous will themselves be blessed, for their share their food with the poor  (Proverbs 22:9). In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man ended up in the agony of the fire.  The Bible doesn't say that he committed mortal sins, but he ignored the needy. Lazarus laid at his gate,  longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it,  for him it is a sin." (James 4:17)

Let us ask for the intercession of Our Lady to open our hearts to the needy. When she realized that her  cousin Elizabeth was in need, she "arose and went with haste" into the hill country. At the wedding at Cana,  she was attentive and concerned about the family's need. As we celebrate the Third World Day of the Poor  on November 17, 2019, let's meditate on the theme: The hope of the poor shall not perish forever. 

Let's strive to bring hope to the oppressed and the marginalized, by sharing our means with our brothers  and sisters. 

Luke Varghese is a Software Engineer by Profession. He resides in Dallas, USA with his wife, Nicy and two children