2 Corinthians 9: 6-10
Brothers and sisters:
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.
Be a Cheerful Giver
St. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. We often hear these words in the context of financial generosity, but the invitation is so much broader. God has entrusted each of us with unique gifts. Whether your gift is wisdom, faith, discernment, courage, compassion, love, or one of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are meant to be shared generously with others.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is not money, but our presence: listening without distraction, encouraging someone who is struggling, or simply noticing a person who feels unseen. These quiet acts of generosity show God’s love in tangible ways.
As you pray today, ask God to help you give freely, not out of obligation, but with a loving and joyful heart. Imagine Jesus smiling as he watches you use the gifts he has placed in your spirit to bless others. Then go into your day seeking opportunities to be a cheerful giver, bringing God’s joy to everyone you encounter.
—Edith Hudson is a graduate of the Midwest Jesuit's Seminars in Ignatian Formation program, a spiritual director, and the police chief of Marquette University’s Police Department.
Prayer
Loving God,
Open my eyes to the opportunities you place before me.
Fill my heart with joy so that everything I give, my time, my attention,
my compassion, and my love reflects Your generous heart.
Grant me the grace to be a cheerful giver every day of my life.
Amen
—Edith Hudson