My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
Christians are "Stewards of the Manifold Grace of God"
[1 Peter 4:10].
"And above all things have fervent love for one another,
for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’ Be hospitable to
one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of
God. If anyone MINISTERS, LET HIM DO IT AS WITH THE
ABILITY WHICH GOD SUPPLIES, THAT IN ALL THINGS
GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,
TO WHOM BELONG THE GLORY AND THE DOMINION
FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. [1 Peter 4:8-11)
The duty of all Christians of true faith is whatever gifts God has given them are to be used for the glory of God and in a spirit of love. The Holy Apostle Paul writes, "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortations; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" [Romans 12:4-8].
We live out this faithful relationship to God in the Church, the body of Christ. Ministry (Gr. Diakonia) requires functioning together, fitting into the corporate whole of the Church. Each person has a "measure of faith" and divine gifting. Saint Paul gives seven examples of gifts, but there are many more. The Holy Apostle exhorts us, "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; For God loves a cheerful giver" {2 Corinthians 9:7). Here is Saint Paul’s landmark teaching on Christian stewardship. The metaphor is not the giving of money but the sowing of seed for harvest. And where does the seed come from? God Himself. "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God." (2 Corinthians 9:10-11).
In our Divine Liturgy the priest or deacon elevates the Holy Gifts and pronounces, "Thine own of Thine we offer unto Thee, on behalf of all and for all." By this act and pronouncement we admit that we have nothing of our own to offer or give to God: "Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights" (James 1:17). Everything we have we received from God. In this offering we thank God for gifts granted us through Christ by the Holy Spirit. Saint Nicholas Cavasilas says, "We offer You the same offering, which Your Only Begotten Son Himself offered to You, God and Father. And in offering it we give thanks to You, because He too in offering it gave thanks to You. That is why we do not bring this offering of gifts anything of our own, neither are these gifts our works, but Yours, the Creator of All."
Giving is a divine act of mercy and love. God’s perfect Gift to humanity is our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. All God’s gifts are founded on His unconditional agape for us sinners. Our Lord taught: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks reces, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what a man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a rish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? (Matthew 7:7-11).
Men are called "evil" not to condemn the whole human race, but to contrast the goodness that is in men–which is from God mixed with sin– with the Goodness of God, which is PERFECT. If imperfect and even wicked people an do good, how much more can God, in Whom there is no evil. Giving for man is an act of faith, and a person’s willingness to give of their "treasurers" is seen as a measure of their willingness to give themselves to God. We are called to give our times, talent and treasure to serve God’s work and minister to others. The ultimate offering, however, is offering oneself. And giving should always be a cheerful act of agape from the heart not done out of obligation.
Again our Lord Christ exhorts us: "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly" (Matthew 6:4). When a Christian helps a person in need it must always be done in secret and discreetly. We must not be charitable simply to impress others with our ‘generosity’ or for soe instant gratification. God sees who we really are, and He knows our motives as well as our deeds. Ultimately everything will be judged, and our good deeds will be rewarded "openly." [Resources: Orthodox Study Bible)
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 