Word: Donate
Word count: 480

Donate, Donate, Donate
By Marea Needle

Dear Lord, today we are gathered here in your presence to honor you and your only
son Jesus. We have taken this holy day of Sunday, a day of rest, to come together and
unite us like the Trinity.
This day we bless what is given to us: our breath, our family, our friends and our
freedom. What is more important than that? We arise from restful sleep, put on clean
clothes, eat breakfast and go to school, a job, or as divine mothers, tend the home and
children. We don’t stop enough to think of the lowly, the forgotten, the starving, and
homeless. Do you think Jesus would? No! Not by all the angels in heaven would he! He
would lay down his life for the downtrodden, no matter what! O God above give us the
courage, the strength, the wherewithal to remember these forgotten souls who live in the
sewer, scavenge for discarded food in trash cans, live under the dumpster or by
abandoned railroad tracks. These are God’s children, the ones who society, like us; yes,
like us, often forget as we sit in our comfortable living rooms watching TV. Dear Jesus,
put loving thoughts of giving into us for God’s meek flock. Let them feel what it is like to
sleep on new sheets in a bed on a full stomach. Let them know what it is like not to wear
rags. I pray for this congregation to be open to God’s will and let his love wash over you.
We have all heard: “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Let these poor ones have their
days of glory. Simple days where they are happy to be alive, smile at a sunny day and are
able to say with gratefulness: “Good Morning Neighbor.” We know charity begins at
home- so let us begin here- in God’s home. Jesus preached to help the poor. We are his
disciples, so let us follow what he preached.
Mother Teresa said: “The fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service.” So let us be of
service to our fellowman. Give of our time, give of our faith and donate! Some of you
may think, how crass to bring up money, but my dear congregation, in this world money
can be for the Lord’s work or for the Devil’s deeds. It is the user of it who decides which
way he will go. Let us take the hand of our parishoner who sits next to you now and rise
to join me in one vast prayer.
“To the God that made us all, may we loosen our ties to greed, write a check; maybe
more than one, just donate till it hurts; to feel bereft like the poor. Amen”.
Silently he adds: ‘ and let these riches flow unto me.’