Homily: August 10, 2024 Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyer.

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 “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I am now eight years as priest, I love my ministry, I enjoy giving my time, my attention and energy to people who are need but there are a few tasks which I totally dislike and would try to avoid, if possible. One of these is fund raising. I detest having to ask people for donations. It could be my pridefulness, and my view that most people are not willing to give more.

When I was sent to St. Ambrose, I thought God must be playing a joke on me. St. Ambrose, as you know, is always in financial difficulty and as rector, I am constantly trying to find ways to increase our funds.

I thought God must be a joker, like St. Lawrence, whose feast we are celebrating today.

St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, who lived in the 3rd century, is the patron saint for comedians. During his lifetime, he made the people around him laugh. I am afraid I can’t retell his jokes, because I am the worst at making people laugh and his jokes are probably too outdated for us.

Now, three years on, I understand better why God sent me here. First to humble me, yes, I have learnt to put aside my pride and ask humbly for more support for our parish needs. And through this, I have encountered so many, so many, willing and cheerful and generous givers, not only with their money but also with their time and talent.

Most of the weekends in summer, parishioners come together to clean the I-Cubs stadium, tasks which require us to get our hands and clothes really dirty. 

Yet so many come forward cheerfully. Some come in full force as a family, with their young kids doing a great job, and are always smiling while doing the dirty work. Some have never missed any of these cleaning jobs we do as a parish to earn the extra income.

I am truly humbled, not in the asking, but in realising how wrong I was to think that most people are not willing to give more. Here in this parish, there are so many cheerful givers. I am so blessed, and so inspired.

We are able to give cheerfully when we truly understand and accept the purpose for our giving, and when we realise that we are first recipients of God’s giving. All that we have, came from God’s generosity. Our faith came from Jesus’ life giving. It is only right that we give to others who are in greater need than us.

If we love Jesus, we will give as He did, generously and totally. We would see Jesus in the face of anyone in need, in poverty, financially, emotionally or spiritually. Just like St. Lawrence who presented all the lame, poor, and sick people from his church to the prefect of the emperor, telling him, “This is the true wealth of the Church.”

And for doing that, he gave his life to his persecutors.

And he gave willingly and cheerfully because he knew he was giving his all to Jesus and for the glory of God.

Let us ask ourselves:

Am I a cheerful giver? Do I find joy getting out of my comfort zone to share time, talent, and my treasures with others, for the sake of Jesus?

St. Lawrence, pray for us. Amen.


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