Thursday, December 21, 2006

Today’s reading

Philippians 4:15-20

“You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. ... I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received ... the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of your according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Phil. 4:15-16, 18-20).

Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus. You are the fragrant offering we receive in every true act of giving. You. Open our hearts to receive you in every generosity. And move our souls to participate in that great cycle of giving and receiving that is the presence of your life among us.

You are the great giving of God. In you the Holy One shares the treasure of divine life. Here we meet the purity of love given in a joy beyond our capacity to comprehend.

So come, Lord Jesus. Let us look upon your beauty and receive the love you are, the Love of whom you are the face. We yearn to enter the mystery of a love beyond all measure. We crave Christmas for we long to be filled with the Fullness of God who is love. So fill us with your Fullness that our tears of joy may give you proper praise. Draw us into your great generosity that we, in our receiving and giving, may participate in the incarnation of your divine life in the places of our habitation.

Every real gift, every act of giving, cries out your name and bears the truth of your divine life. Every act of sharing and love glorifies you, enlarging the wonder of your presence among us, making earth itself and our withered hearts fragrant with your beauty.

So come Lord Jesus. Give us the eyes to see you in every generosity. Give us your heart that we might share in the unspeakable giving of the Unspeakable Giver, who is Love beyond all measure. Amen.