Freely Give

As Americans we are raised to believe ‘we are worth’ our effort. Sayings such as ‘an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay,’ fill our conscience. We also say, ‘nothing is free’ to further convince each other that we deserve the pay we receive. What if I told you there was a better way?

Today is the Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damianos who were unmercenary healers. They were educated with all the best science of their day, but they refused to keep their knowledge to themselves. Their family had the means which allowed them to go out and heal at no charge.

I said there might be a better way than to live by the motto, ‘nothing is free’ and here is where our Christian faith must start coming into action. I must first preface my point today with the truth that Saints Cosmas and Damianos had the means to do what they did. They were not poor village healers but learned men of science.

It is ok and necessary to make a living to provide for our family. Saint Paul taught that we don’t eat if we don’t work. Our professional work also provides for the work of the Church through our Stewardship. There comes a time when our resources are such that we should give back.

At that time, Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.”

Matthew 10.1, 5-8

As our faith develops, we come to the realization that everything we have, from the clothes on our back to the knowledge in our brains was given to us by God. We understand that every talent we use to ‘make a living’ would not be possible if God had not first gifted the talent to us. Even our aptitude for learning is a gift from God.

Today’s Gospel reading is appointed for the Feast of the Unmercenaries to teach us about our giving needs. We have freely received from God so many talents and gifts, even the gift of having a profession in the first place.

Our gratitude and love for God is expressed in our willingness to use those same gifts to help others. That helps comes in a variety of ways. If we are trained medical professionals like Saints Cosmas and Damianos, we should find ways to use our skills freely for others. But it doesn’t end at free clinics.

Are you a teacher? Offer free tutoring. Are you a lawyer? Offer free legal advice. It doesn’t matter what profession you are in; you are able to freely give to help others. Speaking as a parish priest, one great need our churches have is for trained therapists and counselors. Imagine how many people could be helped by offering free counseling sessions at the Church.

Allow today’s blog to ‘get your juices flowing’ about how you can freely give to others. It doesn’t mean quitting your ‘day job’ and working for free unless you have the means to do it like Saints Cosmas and Damianos. Let’s get creative in how to help others with our talents.

You might be asking what if you don’t have a talent that can directly help, or maybe you are short on time. We all have different gifts that God has given freely to us, so that we may freely give to others. As Saint Paul reminds us, that includes the gift of giving. You can always give financially to the Church so that others can offer their services as well.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12.6-8