God Can't Give When We Insist On Taking First

Just who do we think that we are?  

A subject that receives little attention is the mistake so many people make of following the economy of man model when conducting their affairs, instead of focusing on God's model, the Economy of Salvation.   

So many people, sometimes even well intended people, make the moral error of doing or saying anything to sell/make a buck/promote themselves or their work. It only cheapens their work and burdens other people.

Some even justify this behavior by saying they do it for God, but look at their work and it is loaded with "I, I, I, me, me, me." Such work fails to produce precious fruit. Instead, it produces the illusion of success and fuels self pride.

"The United States is a hypnotized nation."  ~ Servant of God, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.   

Catholics must be especially vigilant, for we represent the Eucharist. 

Modern marketing has become incredibly selfish and vulgar.  Instead of using talents to serve, so many are using their talents to mislead, take, take advantage, and demand from others. The soliciting is absolutely out of control, and often the tactics are immoral.   

The goal of every apostolate should be to guide souls to Christ by serving others.  It must be clear that it is God who is working through us.  

How is this accomplished?  By living in imitation of Christ.  +  

We must remember to include our behavior in this area in our daily examinations of conscience, especially the ones we make before we go to Confession.  

Catholic business, organizations, and non-profits must be especially vigilant.  

And our churches should not become marketplaces. The selling and soliciting have become excessive; people must be able to go to church and find peace, not be assaulted with more selling and soliciting. 

We must serve more and ask for less.  +

Who can you even think of that relies on Divine Providence anymore?  Precious few.  

Can you think of any place you are safe from solicitations?  Not in our own homes;  not even in church.  

God can't give when we insist on taking first.  

Here's a painful example, a true story.  A woman was leaving morning Holy Mass during the week and as she took her first steps out of the church, a wealthy woman accosted her and asked her to donate to some nuns who were going to visit Italy, were learning Italian, and needed funds. The woman was sick, and her own work for the Lord was in the red. Not having the funds to go to Italy herself, she just didn't go there.  She didn't demand that other people, whether they have the funds or not, send her there. She certainly didn't accost people in church. Instead, she focused on giving.   

It has become standard for people to want something and expect/demand that others provide it.  

This behavior is so disrespectful. 

Just who do we think that we are?

  

Here's another example, also a true story:  a woman was walking through the parking lot toward the church to attend a Tridentine Holy Mass at the same time that a mother rushed out of the church.  As soon as she spotted the woman in the parking lot, she shouted at her as if panicked, and instructed the woman to go into the church and buy something from the young people raising money for their upcoming mission trip.  Now the woman had already generously donated to their cause, which by the way had diverted much needed funds from her own work, but that consideration never factored into the mother's demands.  

The mother's behavior embarrassed the woman, and was an assault on her dignity as a human person while she was on her way to Holy Mass. She had a certain amount of money left to raise, and that was the bottom line.  The dignity of other people had nothing to do with it, and this is the grave moral error that many are making.  The faulty logic is that if they are going to do something good for God, it doesn't matter how that is accomplished.   

People have become nothing more than a means to an end.  This thinking contributes to the abortion mentality, because it is devoid of any respect for the great dignity of the human person.

This behavior is not holy.  

The woman going into the church to attend Holy Mass and find some peace from a very self absorbed world didn't ask that mother to fund her children's trip anywhere. If they don't have the money to go, they don't go.  

Just who do we think that we are.  

Among the most tragic cases are the non-profit organizations, especially well intended pro-life organizations whose very well thought out solicitations are excessive, intrusive, and manipulative. We cannot commit evil with the hopes that good will come out of it.   

Sadly, this has become acceptable behavior in our society.  

The devil tries to convince us that the more we use people, the more business savvy we are.  

We are even told by the demon that the Lord will bless such efforts!  
 

We are constantly, constantly bombarded with requests for money.  Just bombarded.  It is an assault on our dignity as human persons.  Jesus Christ never, ever behaved this way.  

We cannot behave this way and be living in imitation of Christ at the same time.  It just isn't possible. 

Catholics, Catholics all around the world, stop extending your hands to reach for people's wallets, and extend a helping hand instead.

How are you allowing God to work through you?