“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” -Mt 10:8
As I began preparing this week’s Connecting Point reflection, frankly, I got stuck. Is it even possible for me, as a limited human being with all my faults and failings, give without limits? On this Father’s Day, I think of how fathers are called to give their whole lives in generous service to their wives and families. If, and when they do this whole heartedly, they become wonderful reflections of our Heavenly Father’s love. But again, let’s be honest, can any of us really live that “without limits” given our human weaknesses? This radical generosity that Jesus calls us to, seems impossible.
Then, I had an encounter after Mass on Tuesday that provided a key for me. After removing my vestments, I went back into church to ask our deacon for his help with something. He was talking quietly to one of our daily Mass goers, Kathy. As I approached them, I saw she was crying. Not wanting to intrude on their privacy, I took a step back to wait for them to finish. Another parishioner happened down the aisle and also noticed Kathy crying. As she passed by, she said something to the effect of “it will be ok.” Kathy spoke up explaining that it was much better than just ok. In fact, she had been crying tears of joy. She shared that for some time now, she is often struck by just how good God is to her and it overwhelms her with thanksgiving and joy, to the point of tears. She mentioned that, throughout her whole life, even at times when she had wandered away from him, He was always so… so good, whether she deserved it or not. She feels she just has to share His goodness with everyone she encounters.
It then struck me, the key to giving without limits is to focus first and foremost on the first half of the line of the Gospel in order to live the second. “Without cost you have received.” You see, Kathy is so overwhelmed with the unlimited gift of God’s love that she has and continues to receive, that her thankfulness propels her to share that gift generously with others. Her focus is not on the cost of the giving, but the greatness of the gift. If you ask anyone who knows Kathy, they will tell you how much she has touch their lives with her generous gift of self. She demonstrates that the more you genuinely receive and cherish the gift of Christ’s Love, the more you yourself become the gift, able to give without limits.
Fr. Chris Talbot
Priest in solidum, St. Francis-St. Maximilian
