**"Give and gifts will be given to you; **
**a good measure, **
**packed together, **
**shaken down, and overflowing, **
will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6:38)
Most toddlers have no trouble learning the meaning of “mine.” They do, however, need to be taught how to share! At first, youngsters may act out and share only if made to by their parents. But as children mature, they begin to get the point that if they
want to have any friends at all, they need to be flexible.
Unfortunately, the childish concept of “mine” often lingers into adult life. That’s why Jesus spent so much time teaching and modeling for us another way—a way of selfless giving.
In sermon after sermon, Jesus told us that the more we empty ourselves and give to other people, the more room we have to receive the good things that God has in store for us. And his storeroom will never run out, for he is a God of infinite resources!
God’s gifts can range from wisdom, discernment, patience, and evangelization. They can be as practical as helping us handle a mini-crisis in our family, or being able to hold on to our faith when inconvenient things happen.
If we give God
of room in our hearts, he will respond by pouring immense amounts of grace into us. Take the Eucharist as an example: So much is contained there, so many gifts, and it’s all there, waiting for us to receive it!
As St. Thérèse of Lisieux once said: “You must open a little . . . so that the Bread of Angels may come as divine dew to strengthen you, and to give you all that is wanting to you.”
So look up to heaven today and fix your eyes on the Lord. Watch to see what gifts he pours into your life. Know, too, that
the more you use and share those gifts, the more he will give to you.
Look around: Do you see a need in your family? Your church? Your community? ***God can help you meet that need by filling what is lacking in you.
It’s not about trying hard but about receiving all that he has to offer.
