August 10, 2019

St. Lawrence

2 Cor 9: 6-10

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Sharing abundantly

When reading this text, what comes to mind are the Jesuit terms magis and cura personalis. The magis addresses the need to sow “more” or “greater.” In essence, doing more, living more for Christ, which leads to doing more for others. We want to focus more on living and sharing abundantly and move away from scarcity.

Care for the entire person (cura personalis), which includes sharing, planting seeds of truth, will lead to an abundant harvest of our righteousness.

How do we form the ideal society that is centered on Christ through the philosophy of magis and cura personalis?  

—Dr. Phyllis Graham-Dickerson is a professor and assistant dean at Regis University, Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, Loretto Heights School of Nursing for seven years, with a tenure of 17 years on the nursing faculty.

Prayer

Lord, help us to create an ideal society that is centered on you. Amen.

—Dr. Phyllis Graham-Dickerson