On this 2nd Sunday of Advent we read in Luke chapter 3 verses 1 through 11 how John the Baptist went around crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” How do we prepare the way of the Lord? How will you receive God and bring Him to your family and to the world? John the Baptist tells us in verse 8 that we pave the way for God by producing good fruit. In verse 11 he says we are to share what we have with those in need. Generosity lies at the core of how we receive Christ and bring Him to others.
Our intentional giving to the needs of the poor, then, is how we receive God in our lives. It is how we exercise our trust in Him to provide. Giving courageously and sacrificially is the loudest “Yes” we can shout, the most thunderous cry we can call out to make straight the pathway of the Lord in this desert of a world we live in. Giving is an act of worship. Giving alms is a way to praise God as we read in Sirach 35. It is one of the best expressions of gratitude we can make to God for all the blessings He gives to us.
December is the giving season. It was either R L Stevenson or Victor Hugo, but one of them is credited with saying. “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” We give to who we love. Take a look at your giving budget this Advent. How will you use your resources as a tool to build God’s kingdom by loving and serving the poor? How can your spending and giving be a tool to help you grow closer in your relationship with Jesus now and into next year?
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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