Are You Hoarding Your Blessings?

The Parable of the Rich Fool began, “There was a rich man who had a good harvest.” I knew the passage well but had never really applied it to myself.  It was about a “foolish” man who wanted to store up his abundant harvest for himself so that he could eat, drink, and be merry “for years to come,” not knowing that “this very night [his] life would be required of him.” ( Luke 12: 16 – 21)

I was taking the 10-week course on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius at my parish and this was the one-hour meditation I had been dreading.  The class was supposed to meditate on our last hour on earth and what it would be like if we died in the state of mortal sin -not a happy thought.

The reason I had never be able to relate to the “fool” in the story is that at no time have I ever been rich, but like most people, just trying to make ends meet from month to month.  I have always considered myself generous, though, when it came to spreading around a few extra dollars, or other material goods, whenever I was particularly or unexpectedly blessed with a little more than usual.

Generosity

If generosity with material goods has never been a real problem, like many, I have committed at least my share of serious sins under other headings and felt the harsh remorse they are bound to effect.  But through my class meditations on Scripture, I have become aware that God opens up new and deeper meanings, more personalized you might say when I make myself available to the touches of His love while listening to His intimate messages marked out especially for me.

This time, I dreaded what He might have to tell me, regardless of the fact that all his reprimands are borne to us cradled in His infinite love.  Before I began the meditation, I asked Him to be kind.  What He revealed to me, rather than humbling me to the dust as I had been fearful of, uplifted and gave me sweet, cheerful hope, both for myself and for those around me.

According to this process of meditation, one is supposed to linger over words, phrases or sections that pop out or somehow deeply speak to the reader, pondering why that might be and what message God wishes to relay.  Sometimes the passage is read several times over before a word or words become prominent.  Sometimes it happens right away, as it did for me in my reading of the foolish rich man: “You have blessings in reserve…” and then again, “To whom will all this piled-up wealth of yours go?”

At once I felt relieved.  The gentleness of Jesus reached out to me with His message, neither harsh nor condemning.  It was a sure admonition nevertheless.  Its meaning struck my heart so tenderly, though, that I knew others would benefit from the same, especially at this beloved time of Christmas for Christians who want to do a little more than hand out presents after scouring the malls and emptying their pocketbooks each year.  I am among them and am always left with that feeling of having missed out on something important, even crucial, in the idea of giving, that goes far beyond the concept of gift-wrapped packages.

Blessings

“You have blessings in reserve…” (Luke 12: 19)  In my meditation, these words were taken up by Jesus to remind me that He has showered me with an abundance of graces and blessings greater than any material good I might have.  This fact alone gave me pause.  Wow, I began to think to myself, I may be short on the funds I would like to have to be able to buy my daughters, sister, brother, the nice present I had in mind, but maybe there is something else I own that I can give that would be of even more value to that person than what I might buy.

Then it hit me that my greatest reserve of blessings was in the Faith I hold so dear.  All the lives of the saints, articles, and programs on Catholicism, classes, Masses, retreats, pilgrimages, theological essays and books, indeed, my very passion for the religion that defines who I am, these are my reserve, the reserve I so often hoard for myself and too seldom share with a world that may frown on my perspectives, may judge and label me in some derogatory fashion for my beliefs.

Sharing this precious reserve might even push away the family that I could not bear being distanced from.  But, as with all sharing that comes from the heart, there is a built-in promise from God, that we will reap spiritual benefits and joy untold, not only for ourselves but for those dearest and others as well when we learn to trust in Him and let go of fear.  And so He insists, “To whom will all this piled-up wealth of yours go?” (Luke 12: 20)

Hoarding

Yes, He asks you and me, “Will you continue to hoard the blessings of your Faith?  It’s high time you take the abundant food of Faith I have continually nourished you with and nourish those around you who are more impoverished in this respect.  There are as many delightful avenues for distributing this wealth, as there are those who elect to do it.  Find a way; find many ways, and not only will your Christmas not be lacking this year, but those you love will find treasures beneath the tree and in their stockings that they will, by My grace, come to cherish as some of the most meaningful gifts of their lives.”

Sharing

Below are some of the ideas that came to me for sharing the wealth of my spiritual blessings, and perhaps yours  as well:

• Make yourself a prayer basket with the names of your family and friends, and draw the name of one person each day until Christmas, or beyond, to pray for and to do a particular sacrifice for.
• Make special but simple Christmas ornaments with a personalized Scripture message for family and/or friends on the back of each.
• For children young or grown, write favorite quotes from saints, personages, Scripture, even yourself, in a small attractive notebook or journal to wrap and give.
• Give a Catholic book from your own bookshelf on a subject that has particular meaning for you, or that touched you deeply, inscribed with a little personal message.
• Write a personal letter in a lovely religious-themed Christmas card, sending the recipient a warm, spiritual message he or she might need to hear.
• Call someone to say hello, and relate to them your recent experience at a church event, retreat, etc.
• Invite a family member or friend that you may not usually invite, to an Advent Bible study, or prayer group.
• Beautifully wrap a cherished saint statue, nativity set, or other religious memento belonging to you, and gift it to someone, with a note explaining the significance of the piece to you, and the recipient’s importance in your life.
• Share together reading copies of a spiritual book with a friend or family member during Advent and Christmas Season and talking about it over lunch.
• Visit someone you know who is Catholic and in the hospital, bring them a statue of the Blessed Virgin and a rosary, and offer to recite it with her or him.
• Instead of a good night story or fairy tale before bedtime, read your child or grandchild the Christmas story from Scripture or a lovely picture book about the Nativity.
• If your family has never participated in the beautiful tradition of the Advent wreath, make this year the first
• Make it a point to discuss as a family at least the Gospel reading after Sunday Mass.
• Write a personal letter to a family member who is far from the Faith, assuring that person of your and God’s love for him or her.
• Invite as many neighbors as possible to go Christmas caroling around your block, making sure to sing all the beautiful religious carols about the Nativity, then treat everyone to hot cocoa and cookies at your house.

God will richly reward you this Christmas with His special peace the world cannot give, and your heart will take part in the holy aura and joy of that most sacred night long ago.