Tuesday, June 17, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5: 43-48)

A saying about donating to charity has no reference but is worth repeating: “Giving has never made anyone poor.”   Most people hedge their donations to assure that they have something for themselves.  Nevertheless, in a mysterious way when people give to others, they often receive more in return,

In today’s first reading, St. Paul tells the Corinthians about his experience in Macedonia. The people there accepted both faith in Christ and the ties of community.  Paul lauds their generosity as he begs the Corinthians for a similar display of charity. 

We are also reminded to help the poor in need.  With Internet opportunities to give are almost endless.  We can donate to local soup kitchens and human rights organizations on the other side of the world.  What is important is that we give generously for others as Christ gave for us.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

The philosopher Plato theorized how a human being would act if he or she were invisible.  He said that the person would likely kill, steal, and rape among other things “like a god among humans”.   Plato had in mind the capricious gods of Greek mythology.  His conception of a god differs decidedly from St. Paul’s in today’s first reading.

St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be generous and benevolent like Christ whom he recognizes as Lord.  He says that although Christ was rich, he became poor not to do any mischief, quite the contrary.  He became poor so that he might make others rich in the Kingdom of God. 

We believe in a good God as He definitively revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.  Not only was he kind and generous, but also faithful, wise, and self-sacrificing.  Following him, we know that our destiny is as bright as the noonday sun in summer.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

In order to promote charitable giving among his peers Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates started a list of the biggest donors every year.  He thought that if people liked to see their names among the year’s biggest earners, they might also want to be named the biggest philanthropists.  St. Paul uses a similar scheme to raise money from the Corinthian Christians in today’s first reading. 

Paul first mentions the example of the people of Macedonia, the province to the north of the Greek isles.  He says that although they are of modest means, they begged for the opportunity to support the poor in Jerusalem.  The implication is manifest.  The far better off Christians in Corinth should be even more willing to donate to the cause.  Evidently the Corinthians delivered as Paul will take a considerable sum of money to Jerusalem when he finally goes.

We often feel uncomfortable about giving because we do not know exactly what the money will be used for.  We don’t mind it going to buy food for the hungry but feel unsure about giving it to beggars on street corners who are apt to buy whiskey or marijuana.  It seems best to contribute to organizations that have a record of assisting the poor.  The important consideration is that we don’t just have the intention of helping the poor but actually do so with regularity.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

A recent magazine article tells the story of how the very rich give away much less of their income than poorer people and then, not to charities but to non-profits like universities and hospitals. St. Paul addresses the issue in today’s second reading.

Paul appeals to the Corinthians to be generous in the collection for the poor in Jerusalem.  He says that the churches of Macedon – principally, the Philippians and the Thessalonians – although relatively poor in comparison to the church in Corinth, have proven to be remarkably self-sacrificing in their contributions to the collection.  He then asks the Corinthians to consider Christ who sacrificed the richness of divinity to become a lowly human so that humans could share in divine glory. 

We receive so many requests from churches and charities that it seems the regular mail service is no more than a conduit for such appeals and for advertisement.  We should not become frustrated nor feel guilty about not giving to everyone who asks.  Rather, we should give what we can – even until it hurts -- to those who seem most in need of our help.  Doing so, we imitate Christ and can hope to share in his glory.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:38-41)

Having been invited to a pro-life center’s annual banquet, the man heard several testimonies about the positive effect the organization was having. Then he was told of its needs and invited to take out, along with everyone else, his checkbook. At first he felt confused. “Was this not a social?” he thought, “Then why is there a push for contributions?” Upon further consideration, however, he found himself assenting to the call for a donation. In the first reading we hear Paul making a similar appeal to the Christian community in Corinth for assistance on behalf of the Christians in Jerusalem.

We can safely assume that Christians living in Corinth enjoy more prosperity than their counterparts in Jerusalem. For one thing they live in a busy commercial center. For another, the Christians in Jerusalem have been persecuted. Other motives for Paul’s request are Jesus’ continual concern for the poor and the need to establish bonds between the Geek and Jewish Christians. There has been some speculation that Paul may have personal reasons for taking up the collection. Because he has uttered what might be taken as criticisms of church leaders of Jerusalem, he may be making amends by showing his concern for Christians there.

Giving money for the poor is sometimes hard, not because we lack resources but because we are not sure that our donation will be well-used. It is only prudent to seek assurance that the contribution we plan to make will truly benefit the people for whom it is intended. Once that is attested, we can give freely knowing that, as Paul says, we are imitating the Lord Jesus.

Homilette for Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

Once a young man was entertaining tourists at a cable car terminal in San Francisco. He was so humorous that the people actually asked if they might give something for his efforts. The man at first feigned refusal and then, of course, accepted their gifts. In the second reading today St. Paul endeavors to make the Corinthians feel similarly compelled to make contributions to the collection he is taking up for the poor in Jerusalem.

A reform-minded politician claims that money is a lot like fertilizer in that it has to be spread around before it does any good. Certainly Christians have every reason not to hoard it. As Paul intimates here, since Christ has been super-generous with us, we should look for ways to assist others. With plenty of stories about misuse of donations, we are naturally cautious about giving money to anyone who claims a need. But this concern should not make us uncharitable. Indeed, many of us are quite capable of discerning genuine needs and assisting economically those who have them. Paul makes it clear that we have a duty in Christ to do so.