Generosity as a Prayer
2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16; Psalms 88(89); Romans 6:3-4,8-11; Mathew 10:37-42
How do we pray? Many times, we go without answers to our prayers either because we do not pray well or because we block them by our own undoing. If we want something from God, mere words are not enough. We need to act in a manner demonstrating that we really need what we are asking for. Sometimes we do not need even to say it. Our actions of generosity will yield us our most sincere desires.
A simple example is that of a student who would like to pass his or her examinations. It will be futile for that student to keep vigil every day in prayer or to be prayed over by pastors and bishops a few days before examinations if he or she did not study hard.
Today’s first reading from the Book of the 2 Kings is demonstrating how the woman of Shunem got herself the blessing of a child, not by pleading to God day and night but by being generous to a holy man of God, Elisha. Elisha, the prophet of God, was passing by her compound every day on his way to carry out his prophetic duties. The woman of Shunem invited him to her house a couple of times and finally with the consent of her husband, she made a permanent room for him to be resting whenever he passed by. One day when Elisha was resting in the room, he wondered why the woman was so generous to him and what was it that she was after. After inquiry, Elisha’s servant Gehazi told him that the woman had no child, and her husband was old. Elisha called for her and announced to her that she would have a child.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus is telling us that every act of generosity has its reward. Nevertheless, it is the intention of the act that qualifies it to be an act of generosity. If we receive a prophet because he is a prophet of God, then we will receive the reward of a prophet just like the woman of Shunem. If we receive our fellow human beings under our roof or in our lives because they are children of God like us, then we will receive the reward of being children of God.
It is worthless to make long prayers with all manner of theatrics filled with emotions and tears if we do not show generosity to others because they are fellow human beings. Today we are living in a generation whereby everything has a price tag. Today, places of worship have turned into open markets where people went to buy and sell miracles or miracles have become another commodity in open markets. It does not matter how people treated their neighbours if they can pay the merchants of miracles. Even schooled people are bowing to irritate “prophets” to get quick favors from God or quick fixes to their problems.
All we need in our lives can be found easily if we are generous to others. Generosity has different forms, including donating one’s time, material things, physical strength, saying a positive word about someone, offering dignified services to clients in whatever office we work, etc. Since God wanted human beings to be social and dependent on one another, he did not create us self-contained but rather he invested different gifts to every person and put a strong desire for the other in us. It is our generosity that will make us enjoy the abundance of life because all we need is invested in our neighbour, and all that our neighbour needs are invested in us. Reciprocity is the code that makes us strong communities where everyone’s needs are met.
St. Paul tells us in the second reading that, through baptism, we have died and resurrected with Christ and become like him. Our selfishness, negative competition, contempt, greed, and all the vices that put off our neighbours must give way to dignified generosity and true concern for others. Jesus demonstrated sincere generosity to those whom he met, not only by performing miracles for them but by helping them to grow and transform. Let us also seek always to be truly generous to others and we will receive our due reward.
Dear friends, we cannot achieve prosperity by bribing God through “prophets”, but we can achieve all we desire from him by our smallest acts of generosity to those in need. I invite us to revise our faith and see if it meets the standards of generosity worthy of God’s favours.
Have a blessed Sunday.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 