One of the first lessons in life we often have to learn is about sharing. As children, we are told by parents to share our toys, food, and attention. One of the best sharers I know is our own Fr. Francis. One story about his legendary sharing is last year on my birthday someone dropped off a birthday cake at the rectory. I was not around at the time. But Fr. Francis, out of the goodness of his heart, decided to eat a piece of it and then give it away to someone else. What a sharer! Of course, I was confused when I got back to the rectory and couldn’t find my birthday cake that my friend had said they had delivered. I asked Fr. Francis about it, and you know what the Bible says on sharing, “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Matthew 6:3–4) So Fr. Francis denied having knowledge of where my birthday cake was. Again, what a sharer—he wanted no credit for his kind deed. But still I was confused and hunted for my birthday cake. Eventually, I discovered the truth of what had happened, and how Fr. Francis had “shared” my cake. He may tell you an alternate version of this story since he is so humble, but I assure you this is a true story. There may be the clouding fact that Fr. Francis was recovering from hip replacement surgery at the time, and he may have been on powerful painkillers, so he might not correctly remember the story of his very generous sharing.
All kidding aside, we are called to share the gifts God has given to us. St. Joseph had the talent of being a carpenter. Surely during those first 30 years of Jesus’s life, St. Joseph used his time and talent to support the home. We are called to share our time and talent too to support Jesus’s new home—the Church. There are always needs here, and your time and talent make all the difference here! Thank you so much for sharing your time and talent!
Peace,
Fr. Greg
