Bread of Life Voice

STRIVE TO BE A CHEERFUL CHRISTIAN

(2Cor 9:6-10; Jn 12:24-26)

On this 10th day August, we celebrate the feast of St Lawrence, a deacon and a Martyr who died in the year 258 AD. Tradition holds that while deacon Lawrence was been roasted to death on a gridiron, he asked his torturers to turn his body over, since he was “done” enough on that side ?

Can you imagine such courage and cheerfulness in giving up oneself to God even in the face of death?

Fellow Pilgrims, St Paul tells us in the second letter to the Corinthian Church, that God is more interested in a cheerful giver, than in one who gives reluctantly or under compulsion. And the simple message sent to us is that, whatever we must do for the sake of the kingdom, must be done in joy and in freedom.

Hence, in rendering our services to God, we must always recognize that, unless we properly dispose ourselves to be offered as grains of wheat in humility, the offering we make of ourselves is vain.

Beloved in Christ, in our different vocations and states of life, God expects us to serve Him and offer whatever sacrifices that are required of us without making noise around town. Most often, we are tempted to give or share our time, talents and treasures with others, only when our selfish terms and conditions are met or are in view.

But the example of St Lawrence whose feast we celebrate today, commands us that, whoever wants to serve the Lord, must do so cheerfully without seeking personal gains and recognition.

Lord God, give us the grace to love and serve you through our services to others. Amen.

Shalom!