You may have seen the movie, Pay It Forward. It is usually at this time of year that I begin thinking of that whole, generous, ego-less process. I am about to reach out to our teens to ask for help in raking the lawns of our senior citizens who may not be able to do so this year. I always ask this to be offered as a FREE gift to our older parishioners.
Call me old-fashioned, but I remember the days when something like this was automatic. You raked, you shoveled snow, you did all sorts of little things to help those in the neighborhood who could not help themselves. It was an act of love and concern and not a business venture.
What does this have to do with Resurrection Reflections, you may ask? Well, paying it forward, without seeking something for myself, is one way I can deny myself and curb my attitude of centering around my own needs and projects and what-have-you. There are some gifts that money can never buy and they always become the most cherished memories of our lives.
When I was a discerning teenager, thinking about if God was asking me to be a sister, I know that all the vocation literature at that time cited generosity as being one of the needed attributes for anyone who would embrace such a life. That is true. BUT, and there is always a "BUT," I can also say that about those called to marriage, single life, and so on. Generosity is key to all of our worthwhile relationships. Without it, we would be very unhappy and lonely people.
When is the last time you consciously passed it on? That is a very good question for you and me to ask ourselves today.
Call me old-fashioned, but I remember the days when something like this was automatic. You raked, you shoveled snow, you did all sorts of little things to help those in the neighborhood who could not help themselves. It was an act of love and concern and not a business venture.
What does this have to do with Resurrection Reflections, you may ask? Well, paying it forward, without seeking something for myself, is one way I can deny myself and curb my attitude of centering around my own needs and projects and what-have-you. There are some gifts that money can never buy and they always become the most cherished memories of our lives.
When I was a discerning teenager, thinking about if God was asking me to be a sister, I know that all the vocation literature at that time cited generosity as being one of the needed attributes for anyone who would embrace such a life. That is true. BUT, and there is always a "BUT," I can also say that about those called to marriage, single life, and so on. Generosity is key to all of our worthwhile relationships. Without it, we would be very unhappy and lonely people.
When is the last time you consciously passed it on? That is a very good question for you and me to ask ourselves today.
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