Archbishop's Message
  • GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER (2Corinthians 9:7)

    GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER (2Corinthians 9:7)

     

    Rejoice in the Lord always

    Fasting, abstinence, prayer and almsgiving are the four pillars of Christian life which find their loud emphasis during the season of Lent but they can never be ruled out of our daily life because they are the backbone of our Christian spirituality and the sure path to holiness of life. In fact ‘cheerfulness in giving’ undergirds all the three pillars – fasting, abstinence and prayer. Without ‘cheerfulness’, none of these acts have any meaning. The mark of a Christian is to be always joyful and cheerful even in the midst of tribulations as exhorted by St. Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 4-7). We must aim at this level of joyfulness in our life if we really want to be followers of Jesus one hundred percent. It is difficult, but not impossible as all the martyrs who went to their death joyfully have testified, including our own martyrs of Kandhamal in 2008.

    The five ways of repentance

    The days of Lent keep our minds focused on ‘repentance’ which signifies an unconditional return to the Gospel and surrender to God’s grace however difficult it may be. The final result in terms of the fruits of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-24) far outweighs the initial pain of letting go into God’s hands, and this applies very much to almsgiving and the generosity that should undergird it.  

    St. John Chrysostom (4th century Father of the Church and Patriarch of Constantinople), known for his spiritual writings and eloquent preaching draws a marvellous relationship between prayer, almsgiving and repentance. Almsgiving belongs to the ‘five ways of repentance’ or the five ‘high-roads’  of repentance, all leading to heaven along with many other ways, but these five are the most important and indispensable. These are the five high-roads to repentance:  first acknowledgement of one’s sins, second forgiving the sins of others, third prayer from the heart, fourth almsgiving and fifth humility, i.e., modest and humble behaviour.  

    Christian generosity – chapters 8 & 9 of 2 Corinthians

    St. Paul provides a long reflection on Christian generosity through almsgiving in his Second Letter to the Corinthians (chapters 8-9). The context is the ‘fund raising’ he is doing in the Church of Corinth to help the Church in Jerusalem which is poor. The Church of Corinth on the other hand is rich, excelling not only in money but also in “faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness and in our love for you” (Chap 8: 7), therefore they have to excel in generosity also, though Paul has faced opposition to his ministry, unacceptance and divisions in this Church. Apparently the appeal had already been made a year earlier and he is only expecting that that the Corinthian gift to the Church of Jerusalem would be ready on his upcoming visit to Corinth.   

    He begins his discourse on generosity in Chapter 8 by placing before the troublesome Corinthians the shining example of the Church of Macedonia. What is unique about the Macedonian Church?

    The Macedonian Church was extremely poor themselves, yet “their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (v. 2). They gave not only according to their means, but beyond their means. They begged of Paul for the privilege to take part in this collection as a mark of their solidarity with another suffering Church, therefore the collection drive is an “act of grace” (v. 6).  

    The same spirit should be shown by the Corinthians to prove their “earnestness of others” and that their “love is genuine” (v. 8).

    Ultimately, what is the source and foundation of Christian generosity?

    It is very mystery of Christ himself who “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (v. 9).  

    When our generosity is like that of the widow who “out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mark 12: 44) we participate in the paradox that Christ embodies: in order to be truly rich in the eyes of God one has to be poor, i.e., trusting totally in God’s providence.

    Timeless insights on and principles of Christian generosity

    Some of the timeless insights on and principles of Christian generosity are contained in Chapter 9. St. Paul speaks of the blessings that flow from generosity and the spiritual attitudes that should accompany it. It does not refer merely to financial contributions but to the heart and spirit of giving which is integral to Christian life and community.

    Paul begins by expressing his confidence in the readiness of the Corinthian Church for the collection he is making. He mentions that he has been boasting to the people of Macedonia about their eagerness to help in this project. He highlights an important aspect of solidarity here – the generosity of one Church inspires and spurs other Churches to do the same. This is the impact one good act can have on the other and thus influence the larger Christian community.

    However, Paul is also aware of the human frailty whereby we make commitments as an initial impulse and flag in zeal as the days go by; therefore, he is sending the brothers ahead of him to ensure that the gift of the Corinthian Church is ready.

    What are some of his immortal insights on generosity?

    “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (v. 6).

    “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion” (v.7).

    for God loves a cheerful giver” (v. 7).

    This is the core of Paul’s discourse: all giving has to be joyful, free, unconditional, other-centered, rooted in the mystery of Christ and with only one motive, i.e., to build up the Body of Christ. It should  not be an afterthought or a grudging obligation but a deliberate act of love and support.

    Therefore, the attitude with which one gives is as important as the gift itself. A cheerful giver always reflects a heart aligned with God’s purposes which is nothing else but the advancement of God’s kingdom. As we read in Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. This attitude actually builds up the character of the giver and strengthens one’s communion in the Holy Trinity and within the Church.

    There is a beautiful result that follows from generosity: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (v. 8). The true outcome of generosity within the Church is not growth in material security but an outpouring of God’s grace which enables believers to walk the path of righteousness and live a virtuous life that testifies to God’s Kingdom.

    At the same time generosity never goes unrewarded. This is the promise of God’s Word. The one who gives freely to the poor will never be deprived of the material needs of life. The one who trusts in God will always experience God’s faithfulness that makes provisions for all our material needs.

    Remember the words of our Lord: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mathew 6:33).

    The final insights on generosity

    The final insights of St. Paul in this regard are very valuable:

    -the generous are encouraged to be still more generous in every way

    -the service of love is not only to supply the material needs of the recipients but to be filled with thanksgiving to God on the part both of the givers and the receivers

    -generosity results in the glorification and praise of God by his Church for the confession of the Gospel of Christ which generous almsgiving stands for

    -there is prayer for the benefactors and longing for them which signifies the bonds of love and affection between the Churches

    -the whole Church thanks and praises God for his surpassing grace whereby giving and receiving become acts of praise and worship.    

    Almsgiving is not the same as ‘tithes’ or mandated church offering or mere ‘charity’; it is a generous offering in cash and kind freely given for the cause of the poor and needy and other works of the Church.

    What characterizes almsgiving from a Christian perspective is its focus on the evangelical principles of human dignity and self-respect that Christ has taught us. It reminds us how God values all people equally and wants to have everyone cared for and loved. He intended no one should go without their needs met. With sin, we became selfish and violent, leading to inequality and suffering; but with the redemption from sin that Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection, we have become children of God and heirs of God’s Kingdom.

    Through almsgiving we honour the image of God in each person recognizing his/her value in the eyes of God. We proclaim the truth that every person matters to God. We live out God’s mercy and compassion and tangibly proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Finally, let us remember that in almsgiving our left hand should not know what our right is doing “so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mathew 6:3-4).  

    Archbishop Anil J. T. Couto