Shortly before he retired, Pope Benedict XVI said, “One receives one’s life precisely when one offers it as a gift.”
He was referring to St. John Paul II’s The Law of the Gift: “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.”
Father Charles Lachowitzer
As a law, the generosity of sacrifice is required for the life of faith. It is also true for all human beings. While it is popular to say, “Tis better to give than to receive,” there is a spiritual reason for this saying. The more we truly give of ourselves, the more we become truly ourselves. It is one of the joys of our faith that when we work hard to serve a parish community, in whatever work of the apostolate we do, we receive back so much more than we gave.
This is why we are more defined by what we give away than by what we have. Our sacrifices, great and small, are in the imitation of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. The cross is our symbol for the life of faith. We strive to offer our very being to Christ by sacrificing what it takes to live out the Gospel.
It is understandable that most people hold back on giving away that which we value the most. Sometimes it is a prudent saving for future needs, or a practical realization that we cannot do everything. Other times, it is simply greed.
In the well-worn stewardship focus of time, talent and treasure, it is not an option to choose between them. To truly be a gift of the self, we offer from each of them. Particularly in the 21st century, financial gifts come from where we have put much of our time and talent.
When it comes to our involvement in the life of the Church, we cannot just donate financially and remain a spectator in the pew. Likewise, active involvement is not a pass from a financial contribution.
When we truly experience the Law of the Gift, then we trust with humility that God will not be out-given. When we don’t think we have a dime to spare, give it away and we will receive even more. When we don’t think we have a moment to spare, give it away and we’ll have all the time we need. And when we think that none of our abilities are needed, offer what we have anyway and we’ll feel like the most gifted person on earth.
In every gift offered, sacrifices from the heart share love.
Giving ourselves as a gift is echoed in a variation of an old African story. A non-native missionary was frustrated after weeks of begging his penniless congregation to find the money to fix a leaky roof. It was the rainy season and the drips seemed to be more plentiful above the pulpit.
Disappointed that no one had come forward with any money, a young man walked toward the altar, emptied the large gift basket of vegetables that couldn’t be used to fix a roof and stepped inside. He offered his very self.
The Law of the Gift is even expressed in an old children’s song. The music and lyrics were written by Malvina Reynolds. Called “The Magic Penny,” the opening lines (condensed here) beautifully express one of the deepest truths of who we are as God’s children:
“Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. It’s just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many they’ll roll all over the floor.”
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