John 6 especially verses 51 and 53 are the very crux of our faith—the astoundingly beautiful truth of what we believe as Catholics. Unless we eat the flesh of Christ, unless we partake of the Eucharist at Mass, only then do we have life within us. In other words, we must eat the body and blood of Christ to have eternal life.
Oh WOW! How extraordinary a gift! God’s amazing generosity showers us with the abundance of His economy. God’s kingdom is an economy of boundless gift. He gives us everything. His gift of eternal life is greater than anything the world’s economy offers.
Our economy, on the other hand, is one of scarcity. There is only so much to go around – or so we’re told. The world bombards us with messages that cause us to worry that we won’t have enough, that if we are too generous, we might not have enough for our retirement or have anything left to leave for our family. Hmm… Wouldn’t you rather live in God’s economy of lavish abundance?
We participate in God’s economy when we practice the pillars of our faith; prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Start every day in prayer and thanksgiving, asking God to make His will known to you and to give you the courage to live it out. Fast every day by living a simple life and by preferring the good of others more than your own. Give alms generously. Give to support those ministries that serve the poor. Be courageous in this.
Here’s the thing – put God first in everything, including your spending, and trust in His promises that He will provide, that He will turn scarcity into daily sufficiency. Seek first God’s kingdom and know that all else will be given you besides (Mt 6:33). Celebrate the Eucharist often and have eternal life, the crux of our faith. St. John Vianney said that “If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy.”
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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