Memory of the Saints and the Prophets

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people acquired by God
to proclaim his marvellous works.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

2 Corinthians 9,6-11

But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well -- and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well. Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work. As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever. The one who so freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your uprightness a bigger one: you will be rich enough in every way for every kind of generosity that makes people thank God for what we have done.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

You will be holy,
because I am holy, thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

In Deuteronomy the author already wrote about the needy brother: "Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so" (15:10). And the psalmist that Paul mentions sings: "He has distributed, he gave to the poor; his righteousness remains in eternal." Generosity and joy in giving that characterize Christian solidarity, free our heart from the bondage of possession and make it more consistent with that of Jesus, who "did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself" (Phil 2, 6-7), as Paul wrote to the Philippians. Generosity enriches the giver because the grace of God and the prayers of those who receive return upon him or her. It is a common belief among the Fathers of the Church that the poor will be our intercessors with God. Alms, which we throw into their hands, become a treasure for us in heaven. Yes, what we give to the poor returns to us in heaven in the hands of God. This is why the apostle suggests that the collection is a sacred service offered to God himself. Indeed, it is not simply an act of solidarity and sharing, but a response to the grace of God, from whom we received everything. Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (Lk 6:38).