Article: Without waiting for a reward

FRANCIS FERNANDEZ

Our giving must be free of the taint of self-interest. This meditation corresponds to the Mass readings for Monday, the thirty-first week of ordinary time.

67. Without waiting for a reward.

67.1 Being generous even when our efforts seem in vain.

Jesus had been invited to dine at the home of an important Pharisee.¹ The Master makes use of the image of a banquet to underline our social responsibilities. On this occasion Jesus said to his host: When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. Jesus tells him who it is he should he inviting -- the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind ... This is the criteria for the Lord's guest list: That they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.²

We well know that friends, relatives and wealthy acquaintances will respond to our invitations with invitations of their own. The investment bears immediate fruit. This can, of course, be an upright way of behaving, especially when our goal is to build friendships, increase our apostolate, strengthen family bonds and so on ... Yet in and of itself this is a purely human mode of behaviour. The pagans act in a manner not markedly different. The Lord taught on another occasion: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.³ Christian charity goes much further than mere human charity. The Christian gives for love of God without expecting anything in return. The poor and the infirm have nothing to pay you back with. This is the way to see Christ in others. The image of the banquet does not refer exclusively to material goods. It includes whatever one person can offer another: respect, joy, optimism, companionship, attention...

The story is told that St Martin, before he was a Christian, had a vision of Christ in his sleep. The Lord was wearing the cloak of a Roman official, a garment which Martin had recently given to a poor person. He recognized his old cloak and then heard Jesus saying to the angels round about him: Martin is only a catechumen, and see how he has given me his cloak. The saint also heard the Lord say: Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.⁴ This dream filled Martin with hope and peace. He was baptized soon thereafter.⁵

We have to be generous without expecting any award in return. We should give ourselves completely in the apostolate, in almsgiving, in works of mercy, without balking for compensation. Charity does not seek for repayment. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.⁶ We have to sow without yearning for immediate fruits. The Lord teaches us through this parable to give without measure, without any calculation of reward. Then we will receive in abundance.

67.2 The reward for generosity. Giving with Joy.

It is better to give than to receive. Generosity expands and rejuvenates the heart. It increases our capacity to love. Egotism has exactly the opposite effect. It impoverishes the heart and limits one's horizons. The more we give, the richer we become. Many times we do not see the fruit of our labours, nor do we reap much in the way of gratitude. But it is sufficient for us to know that Christ is the reason for our generosity. And so, nothing is lost. Listen to this advice from St Augustine: You do not realize the value of the good you are doing, he writes, Think of how the farmer sows without seeing his crop in front of him. He trusts in the land to deliver his harvest. So why don't you put your trust in God? The day of the harvest will surely come. Imagine yourself in the middle of the planting season. The more we sow today, the more we can reap tomorrow. Remember those words of Holy Scripture: 'He that goes forth weeping bearing the seed for sowing shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him' (Ps 125:6).⁷ Charity does not lose heart in the absence of immediate results. Charity knows how to wait. Charity is patient.

Every person has a basic need to give. The person who does not know how to share with others has a handicapped heart. When we truly give to others, our heart is filled with joy. We are then in a better condition to understand the Lord who gave his life as a ransom for us.⁸ When St Paul wrote to thank the Philippians for their assistance to him, he stated that their generosity would be richly rewarded: Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.⁹ St Leo the Great has recommended that whoever gives alms should do so with tranquillity and joy. The less you hold back for yourself the greater will be your final reward.¹⁰

St Paul encouraged the first Christians to be generous in both action and spirit: For God loves a cheerful giver.¹¹ No one can be grateful for a gift or service done grudgingly or with a mean spirit, least of all the Lord. As St Augustine points out, If you give the bread with a heavy heart, then both the bread and the reward have been lost.¹²

In contrast, the Lord is more than delighted by the person who gives with joy.

67.3 Putting ones talents at the service of others.

There is a tremendous amount of work to be done on behalf of people in need, whether their poverty is material, cultural or spiritual ... Our contribution might be in the form of money, time, companionship, kindness, good manners ... The basic idea is that we should put our God-given talents into the service of others. Here is an urgent task: to stir up the consciences of believers and non-believers, to gather together men of good will, who are willing to help and to provide the material instruments which are needed for the work with souls.¹³

There is a tremendous amount of work to be done on behalf of people in need, whether their poverty is material, cultural or spiritual ... Our contribution might be in the form of money, time, companionship, kindness, good manners.

Today's Gospel teaches us that it is better to give than to receive. We need to convince ourselves of this truth. We should not pester people to repay us for our 'generosity.' We should give without expecting anything in return. Ordinarily, it is advisable that parents do not remind their children of all that has been done for them. A wife should not prepare her husband a detailed list of services rendered, nor should the husband imagine that the family is in his debt for his professional work. The total value of our labours is better left in the hands of our Father God. God prefers that we give without rendering a bill or insisting on a receipt, that we give whole-heartedly for his sake alone. This should be our attitude even when our good works are taken for granted or misinterpreted. I saw a blush on the face of that simple man; he was almost in tears. He had contributed generously to good works, giving honest money which he himself had earned and then he heard that 'good people' had called his actions dishonest. With the candidness of a beginner in these battles of God, he murmured: 'They see that I make a sacrifice ... and they still sacrifice me!' I talked to him slowly: he kissed my crucifix, and his natural indignation was changed into peace and joy.¹⁴

The Lord asks us to understand others, even though others may not understand or even try to understand us. Perhaps sometimes they are like the guests invited to the banquet who could not bring themselves to respond to the Lord's invitation. We have to care for other people despite the possibility that they may ignore us. We should be performing acts of service for people who very probably will not do the same for us. Let us make life pleasant for those around us, no matter how they or others treat us. Everything we do should spring from a largeness of heart. We cannot keep a running tally of credits and debits. People who complain about the ingratitude of others should take a close look at their own rectitude of intention. Generosity should not lead to recriminations and collapse. Selfless sacrifice should make the heart bigger. It should uplift it with the consoling thought that God is pleased with our efforts. The more generous you are for God, the happier you will be.¹⁵

With her fiat, Our Mother Mary gave her entire being to the Lord. She will help us to give without the slightest taint or vestige of self-seeking. Mary will show us how to be generous in the thousands of little details of ordinary life.

Endnotes:

1. cf Luke 14:1
2. Luke 14:12-14
3. Luke 6:32
4. Matt 25:40
5. cf P. Croiset, The Christian Year, Madrid 1846, IV
6. 1 Cor 13:5
7. St Augustine, Sermon 102, 5
8. cf Matt 20:28
9. Phil 4:17
10. St. Leo the Great, Sermon 10 on Lent
11. 2 Cor 9:7
12. St. Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, 42, 8
13. J. Escriva, Furrow, 24
14. ibid, 28
15. ibid, 18

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Father Francisco Fernández Carvajal. "Thirty-first week: Monday." from In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year vol. five Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34 (London: Scepter Publishers, 2004): 379-384.

Reprinted with permission of Scepter Publishers.

In In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, author Francis Fernandez-Carvajal makes generous use of the writings of the great saints as he brings you focused and moving meditations on themes taken from the Mass readings for that day, the liturgical season, and more. This work is rich and extensive enough to serve as your spiritual reading for a lifetime, as it helps you relate the particulars of the message of Christ to the ordinary circumstances of your day. Each volume is small enough for you to carry to Adoration or some other suitable place for meditation.

THE AUTHOR

Francisco Fernández Carvajal (or Francis Fernandez), born 1938 in Granada, is a priest in the Opus Dei Prelature. He is best known for his seven volume work Hablar con Dios (In Conversation with God), which has sold over two million copies in several languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovakian and Polish. It consists of over 450 meditations, one or more for every day of the year, as well as three meditations for each Sunday, corresponding to the three year cycle in the Catholic lectionary. An updated, four volume edition with over 550 meditations was completed in 2004. Father Fernandez has also had published, in English, Children of God: The Life of Spiritual Childhood Preached by Blessed Josemaria Escriva, and Lukewarmness.

Copyright © 2004 Scepter Publishers