Priorities in giving

[BonnieBj]

I posted this the other day in the miscellaneous forum but no one has answered annd this is very important to me.

There is a choice facing us in our giving. Our local Catholic radio station desperately needs money, it might have to go off the air. On the other hand our food bank desperately needs money asnd food donations, especially because of the time of year this is. Which is the more important cause to give to, since we have to choose one or the other? I say the fiood bank is the more important, based on James 2:15-16: “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, bem warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (NKJV)

Both are good causes, but I say that the food bank is the more important of the two because if they are hungry their efforts are going to be concentrated on finding food and not on listening to Catholic radio.

I’d like to hear opinions, especially from clergy.

 

[Teresa9]

BonnieBj:

I posted this the other day in the miscellaneous forum but no one has answered annd this is very important to me.

There is a choice facing us in our giving. Our local Catholic radio station desperately needs money, it might have to go off the air. On the other hand our food bank desperately needs money asnd food donations, especially because of the time of year this is. Which is the more important cause to give to, since we have to choose one or the other? I say the fiood bank is the more important, based on James 2:15-16: “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, bem warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (NKJV)

Both are good causes, but I say that the food bank is the more important of the two because if they are hungry their efforts are going to be concentrated on finding food and not on listening to Catholic radio.

I’d like to hear opinions, especially from clergy.

Dear friend

You are caught between donating to ‘spiritual food’ for people and ‘physical food’ for people, split the donation between the two. I would do that as both are as important. It is no good saving the flesh to lose the soul, having said that, if you have no food to eat that is grim!

Tha verse you have quoted should not be taken out of context from what Christ said 'I was hungry and you did not feed me ’ ‘I was anked and you did not clothe me’ etc etc etc, this not only pertains to physical needs like food and clothing, but also pertains to spiritual needs, as in, ‘I was hungry for God’s word and no-one fed me’ …‘I was spiritually lonely and no-one understood me, I had no friend to guide me in my faith and you did not befriend me’ …‘I was a prisoner in my sins and you did not come to me and show me how not to sin and how I should live’ …‘I was naked and you did not clothe me in Christ’…etc etc etc

Split your the money you had decided to donate and give half to the Radio Station and half to the Food Bank, this in my mind is the wisest thing to do. It is better to give a little to both than give nothing at all to one.

God Bless you for your charity and kindness to those in most need.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[SPOKENWORD]

My recommendation is for you and your husband to pray together and listen to what God is saying to you. You and your husband have got to be in agreement with this decision.If you dont come into agreement then pray some more until you can agree.Those are my thoughts. This happens many times in my life and thats what we do.God Bless as you wait for Gods voice.

 

[BonnieBj]

Thanks Theresa. I will pray that the Lord’s Will be done in this and leave it with Him. I am sometimes spiritually lonely, although since becoming a Benedictine Oblate novice that is better; physuically I am lonely, having no friends where I live, which is very bad for trying to cope with my disabilities. Before we moved I had many friends and a great support network and that was almost 3 years ago. I try my best to feed others and I’ll have to leave it to the Lord to feed me. By the way, I lived in Cheltenham for 4 years and miss it and my British friends very much.

 

[mtr01]

Teresa9:

Tha verse you have quoted should not be taken out of context from what Christ said 'I was hungry and you did not feed me ’ ‘I was anked and you did not clothe me’ etc etc etc, this not only pertains to physical needs like food and clothing, but also pertains to spiritual needs, as in, ‘I was hungry for God’s word and no-one fed me’ …‘I was spiritually lonely and no-one understood me, I had no friend to guide me in my faith and you did not befriend me’ …‘I was a prisoner in my sins and you did not come to me and show me how not to sin and how I should live’ …‘I was naked and you did not clothe me in Christ’…etc etc etc

Teresa brings up a good point, and reminds me of something else our Lord said in the desert while being tempted by Satan:

Mat 4:4 Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.

Teresa9:

Split your the money you had decided to donate and give half to the Radio Station and half to the Food Bank, this in my mind is the wisest thing to do. It is better to give a little to both than give nothing at all to one.

God Bless you for your charity and kindness to those in most need.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

I would agree that this is the best course of action. You would then be helping to feed people both spiritually and physically, which is truly a sign of God’s grace working in you

 

[Teresa9]

Dear friend

I have spent many hours being spiritually lonely, then I realised I am never alone, my Lord Jesus is always with me; and now I have long conversations with our Lord Jesus about spirituality, His life and Sacred Scripture. It’s quite surprising since I decided to do this, in prayer this way, I have become to understand many things about our Lord I previously didn’t understand. Spiritual lonliness is a very difficult thing to face. I am in the process of my formation in a third order, I’m praying for perseverance in this! But other than this and a very kind and patient Priest, I am spiritually lonely. This is because we all need a human being who shares our spirituality, I am praying for the Lord to bring such a friend to me.

Luckily and thanks to God, I am not physically lonely, I have many friends and family. But at times, in the past, especially when I was moving around studying I was very lonely then, in a new place and not knowing anyone. Lonliness is one of the hardest things to face. I think at some point in life most people experience lonliness…I always say…‘we are all alone in our minds’ and this is very true.

A kind heart such as yourself will make friends, I will say a prayer for you for the Lord to bring you kind and loyal friends. I can understand what you mean about missing your friends in the UK, I miss friends who I have moved away from, luckily there is the internet to keep in touch!

I will pray for your choice in this work of charity, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and your husband in your choices.

By the way, my message box is always open if you ever feel you want to write a note, I always reply to everyone who messages me . I often look back to when I was isolated in that new place when I moved to study and thought, if all people just spent a little time to get to know new people, then no-one would be lonely, thing is people just seem to get comfortable with the circle of friends they have and don’t actively try to cement new friendships. No-one need be lonely.

Our Lord was very lonely, imagine He is God and no-one understands Him or recognises Him, some even calling Him evil and doing good works in the name of evil. How hurt His spirit must have been and how lonely and sad it must have made Him, especially in the garden of Gethsemane, where He fell into a depression and hit His loneliest point in His life. Then upon the cross He was totally alone in His suffering, Mary and John remained but He suffered alone in His body and in His spirit. I always remind myself of this whenever there is a hard point in my life, that whatever human experience we have faced, our Lord has gone there before us in His human nature, has felt the very same things and goes there so that we may also tread it in Him and have Him there at our sides. For me, this makes nothing a hardship as everything is done in Him and with Him.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Augustine]

Teresa9:

… Then upon the cross He was totally alone in His suffering, Mary and John remained but He suffered alone in His body and in His spirit.

Off topic, but didn’t Mary suffer with Him then?

 

[Teresa9]

Augustine:

Off topic, but didn’t Mary suffer with Him then?

Dear friend

Yes of course she did. But He alone suffered in His physical and spiritual suffering, no-one could suffer those for Him, He bore them alone in His own humanity and Divinity for the atonement of our sins. Of course when those we love suffer, we suffer also, but we cannot take their suffering and suffer it as they do.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Teresa9]

Dear friend

Actually thinking after I posted that, I don’t know if it is worse to watch one you love suffer or to suffer it yourself. I can speak from personal experinece of watching those I love who have died, suffer. I would have gladly suffered it for them, than have them suffer it. The agony of Mary must have been immeasurable, but I would maintain she could not suffer what her Son, Christ Jesus suffered, she suffered with Him in that her heart bore the pain of His suffering and His loss, but she could not physically feel or spiritually feel what He felt, her suffering was immense, but He alone died on the Cross and no-one else died on the Cross with Him for the atonement of sins.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Augustine]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses.