Christian poverty, generosity, self-giving

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THAT gospel story of the poor widow giving her two small

coins into the temple treasury (cfr. Lk 21,1-4) once again reminds us

about how true Christian poverty leads to generosity and total

self-giving which is the very essence of love that in turn is the very

essence of God, as St. John says it so explicitly, “Deus caritas est.”

(1 Jn 4,16)

          One lesson we can learn from that episode is that generosity

is not a matter of how much we give but rather of total detachment

from the things of this world so that our heart can only be for God.

We therefore have to be wary of our strong, if often subtle,

attachment to the things of this world such that our heart would at

best be a divided heart, which is actually an impossibility.

          We have to learn to let go of our possessions, our

preferences, our opinions, etc., until we can say that we are letting

go of our whole selves so as to give everything to God.

          This is what generosity is all about. Instead of feeling

emptied, we feel filled with peace and joy. No earthly happening can

add or diminish that peace and joy. It’s a peace and joy that can only

be the effect of having God with us. As St. Teresa once said, “Solo

Dios basta,” with God we have enough.

          Christian poverty is never a state of misery and pure

suffering and privation, even if in human eyes it can be seen that

way. It is always motivated by love of God and neighbor, and is filled

with all goodness, generosity and magnanimity.

          It is a spirit of total self-giving that goes beyond any

effort at quantification and measure. It’s never a matter of how much

we give and keep. It’s purely a matter of total self-giving that

identifies us with God of whom we are supposed to be his image and

likeness.

          We have to learn to develop and live this true spirit of

Christian poverty which first of all would need God’s grace which we

have to constantly beg and, of course, to exert our all-out effort. We

have to learn to continually conquer our tendency to be improperly

attached to earthly things, even as we know that the things of this

world are also important, but only as means, never as ends in

themselves.

          Yes, we have to continually rectify our intentions and give

ourselves concrete standards, criteria and goals to guide us in the

way we use the things of this world while living true Christian

poverty.

          We have to learn how to live Christian poverty while using

the things of this world. While it’s true that Christ told the rich

young man, and us, to “sell everything and give to the poor…and come,

follow me,” (Mk 10,21), we need to understand that the Christian

spirit of poverty and detachment does not prevent us from having the

things of this world, like money.

          But, yes, we need to be careful that our having the things

of this world does not undermine our love for God. If ever, the things

of this world should be pursued and used for the sole purpose of

loving God and everybody else. We are not angels. We are not pure

spirits. We need things to live and survive, and to give glory to God

and to help everybody else.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

God cannot be outdone in generosity

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THAT’S right! The more generous we are with God and with

others, the more generous God will be with us. This is just a simple

law of ‘we reap what we sow.’ We usually sow just a seed, but with the

generosity with which we take care of that seed, we are bound to get a

lot of fruit.

          This truth of our faith is highlighted in that gospel

parable about a nobleman who went off to a distant country to obtain

the kingship, leaving his ten servants with ten gold coins with the

instruction to engage in trade until he returns. (cfr. Lk 19,11-28)

          He was happy with those who carried out the instruction and

gave them charge of big cities. “Well done, good servant! You have

been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities,”

he said. He punished the servant who did nothing with the gold coin.

          Later on, he told the servants that the gold coin of the

servant who did nothing with it be given to the one who gained ten

more with his trading. When the other servants commented that this

productive servant already had ten gold coins, the nobleman who

personifies God said: “To everyone who has, more will be given, but

from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

          All this only show that we are meant to be fruitful and

productive with what God has given us and that we would be receiving

more graces and blessings the more fruitful and productive we are with

all the gifts God has given us.

          Everyday, we should be keenly aware that we need to be

fruitful and productive. That’s simply because even from the beginning

of our creation in Adam and Eve, this has always been God’s will for

us.

          “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and

subdue it,” (Gen 1,28) God told our first parents, clearly outlining

his mandate to them. It’s a mandate that continues to be repeated up

to now.

          That should be fair enough. If one is given a lot of gifts,

blessings, privileges, opportunities, etc, then a lot should also be

expected of him. Christ himself said so. “Much will be required of the

persons entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the

person entrusted with more.” (Lk 12,48)

          He reiterates the same idea a number of times in the parable

of the talents, the parable of the seed, the tenants in the vineyard,

and the different images he taught about the Kingdom of God. Even on

the basis of common sense alone, that idea should be a given.

          We have always been taught to trade with our talents, to

make the most of what is given and entrusted to us, to be generous in

the way we spend our life. Our life here on earth, after all, is a

test of love, the real love, which is love for God and others, and

never just self-love.

          We have been repeatedly assured that if we are generous with

God and with others, we will also be the object of a greater

generosity from God and from others as well.

          Christ said so. “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or

sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will

receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal

life.” (Mt 19,29) Yes, God cannot be outdone in generosity.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE),Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com