Faith Sharing Fridays November 6, 2015

Gospel for Sunday, November 8th

As someone who has not yet had a salaried career, I feel the burden of the woman who gave her “livelihood” instead of the others who just gave from their wealth. As I dwell on this more, I realize that while I might understand her in financial terms, when it comes to my relationship with God and my giving to the community, I would have to say I am more like the people giving just from their wealth. I hear Jesus teaching the disciples and us that it is important for us to give ourselves entirely to Christ, to give our livelihoods to Christ, and to give our lives to Christ. This could mean different things for everyone, but for me personally, I hear it as a call to action: a call to give more than just prayer now and then and mass on Sunday mornings, a call to serve those in need more than just when I have the free time and feel like it, a call to use all of the gifts that God so generously gave me to their full potential.

My contributions need to be more than just from my wealth. My contributions need to be all I have.

Imagine our God given livelihood as a bouquet of flowers: white roses and light pink peonies over top beautiful dark green leaves and with baby’s breath scattered throughout. This bouquet was a gift from God. He fashioned it just for you and expects you to use it. This bouquet has many parts. The roses might be your passionate interests and the dark green leaves your compassion for others. The peonies are your personality and the baby’s breath is a special and unique talent. Combined, this collection of flowers makes you God’s one and only beloved “you.” Now imagine trying to live out your life each day giving each person you meet your complete bouquet of flowers (of course God has an unlimited supply for you to share). How wonderful would that be to be sharing your passionate interests, your compassion for others, your personality, and your special gifts to every person you encounter? Instead I often find myself giving bouquets of just peonies or maybe just roses and a few leaves. I am only giving of my wealth and not my livelihood. I pray that we may be able to strive to give our entire bouquet of flowers to everyone we meet, to show everyone who God made us to be.

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What is in your bouquet of flowers? How can you share your entire bouquet with those around you?

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Written by an Undergraduate Woman