8th Sunday of Luke
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
When I was a child, every time I received a gift—whether it was Christmas, my birthday, or Easter—my parents always made my sister and me write a thank you card. St. Paul had a similar mindset.
It is well-known that as Paul established churches around the Mediterranean, he asked them to contribute to an offering he was collecting for the Jerusalem Church. While this was indeed a promise Paul had made to the saints in Jerusalem, there was a deeper significance to it.
In Paul’s eyes, the gospel message—the Good News of Jesus Christ—had originated in Jerusalem; it was their gift to the world. For Paul, the offering he was collecting for Jerusalem represented the world’s way of expressing gratitude for the gift of salvation they had received.
In this context, Paul reminds us today that, “God is well able to lavish all His grace upon you, so that in every matter and in every way, you will have enough of everything and may be generous in all your own good works.” Just as Jerusalem had blessed the world, the world now blesses them, and furthermore, God blesses both.
Today, the Good News emanates from our local parish. The gospel continues to offer salvation to everyone, even 2,000 years after the resurrection. For this, we are just as grateful as those early Pauline communities who gave to Jerusalem.
As we embark on our 2024 stewardship campaign, we remember all the blessings God has bestowed upon us: family, homes, friends, education, a church community, and many more. Like those early communities, we aim to express our gratitude to God by offering our time, talent, and treasure to our church home with heartfelt appreciation.
May God continue to pour out His grace upon us as He did for those early Christians. Amen.