A recent ad to give clothing to the needy caught my attention. The ad encouraged people to go through their closets and give away clothing they no longer need, clothing that is out of style, and clothing they do not wear.
There is nothing wrong with the effort. It is a good thing and can help people in need. Most of us have more clothing than we need. And it is generous to give some of it away. However, if we only give away what we do not like or no longer want, what have we really done? Have we done a favor for the poor or have we done ourselves a favor? Have we emptied out our closets so that we can go out and buy more things? Have we given old things away so that we can justify buying new things?
Without judging anyone’s motives because it is not my place to do so, a simple suggestion can keep us all honest. When you put clothing in the St. Vincent de Paul box or donate to a clothing drive, why not include something you really like, something you prefer to keep? Think of the joy you might bring to someone in need who gets to wear something you still treasure rather than something you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing?
In all acts of charity, Jesus Christ is our inspiration and our guide. Jesus encouraged His hearers to give from their want, not simply from their abundance. Jesus complimented the woman who put her last coin in the treasury. We know this story as the widow’s mite. It is recorded in both Mark’s and Luke’s Gospel. Jesus watched as people put money in the treasury. He saw that the rich put in a great deal. He noticed a poor widow put in two small coins, hardly enough, we might say, to make a difference. The compliment Jesus pays this woman is worthy of our attention and our reflection: “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood” (Mark 12:44).
Surely the woman was generous. She was in great need herself but she thought of other people. But, in addition to being generous, this woman was trusting. To put in the last of her coins (all she had to live on) this woman was trusting that God would be with her no matter what happened. Notice I said that God would be with her. I did not say that God would put food on her table or money in her pocket. Trust is a much deeper virtue than the expectation that if I am generous, it will be returned to me many times over (although this is often the case). But there is a huge difference between giving something away and expecting something in return and giving something away and trusting in God’s love and care. Be willing to be surprised by grace.
When the late and wonderful Pope John Paul II spoke at Yankee Stadium in 1979 he encouraged us to give from our want, not from our abundance. This is challenging for all of us, whether we are very wealthy or part of the struggling middle class or truly poor. The recent crisis in the financial markets has reminded all of us how vulnerable we are. It can be a reminder to us that we cannot build here a lasting city. It can remind all of us that the one who dies with the most toys does not win but loses. It can help us to refocus on what is truly important. We may not have much, but we do have one another.
Our true treasure is not here. Our true treasure is with God and God’s Gospel ways of love of one another. Our true wealth is not in how much we have but in how much we share.
When the rich young man wanted to know what he needed to do to share in everlasting life, Jesus looked at him with love and invited him to give up everything and follow Him (cf. Mark 10:17-22). We know that the man went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. The sad thing about this man was not his wealth. The true sadness lies in the fact that he missed the loving gaze of Christ. Had he allowed himself to experience the intensity and the beauty of Christ’s love, he would have easily given everything up.
His challenge of long ago is our challenge today. Whether it be about giving clothing or money to the poor or surviving the alarming financial crisis we presently experience, the widow and the rich young man have something to teach us. The widow teaches us to trust in God; the rich young man teaches us to accept the loving gaze of Christ.
Now, about those clothes in my closet …