Reflect
“Instead they gave me poison for my food; and for my thirst they gave me vinegar” (Ps 69:22). How many times have I done this? Instead of doing someone a kindness or patiently listening to their woe, I tried to fix their problem or explain to them what they were doing wrong. Poison and vinegar. Or what about all the times I have given donations to charity: the old bicycle, the pants that don’t fit anymore, the necktie I never wear? I am giving only from my excess, only what I have already rejected—spit out, you might say. Like poison and vinegar.
Pray
Blessed Virgin Mary,
You surrendered yourself
entirely to the will of God,
giving not the scraps from your table
or the extra coin from your purse,
but everything you had:
your entire being, body and soul.
Let me be guided by your example
and surrender myself completely
to your son, our Lord,
whenever and wherever he calls me.
Act
Where do you give generously and selflessly? What do you give? Your time? Your money? Yourself? When we give generously, the gift is always irreplaceable. It cannot be returned or exchanged because the gift is in the giving. Think of someone who needs that gift and become it. Without looking at your watch or counting the cost, give them a call or, better yet, knock on their door and pay them a visit. Sit down and really listen to their stories, their laughter, their tears, their worries. Make some tea and let yourself become not poison and vinegar, but honey from the rock.
