The Gospel “works” … glimpses of Gospel life today“Give and it will be given to you”: at every age and in every part of the world one can experience that Jesus’ promises punctually come true.
All three of my children needed winter coats, but we didn’t have enough money. That morning, a big sale was advertised in the newspaper. I would have to rush to catch the bargains. But a short time later, my sister-in-law telephoned to ask if she could come round. This didn’t happen very often and so I said yes. I decided to risk losing the opportunity to save some money to be able to love Jesus in her. When my sister-in-law arrived, she was carrying a big bag containing three coats, one for each of the children.
(New York)
For an Act of Love
While I was on a daily walk as directed by my doctor, I was trying to get to know the area where I had been living for a short time. I was the new bishop. A few days later, I started to tidy up a few things in the bishop’s house, so that I could better express God, who is beauty.
I found some bronze candelabras, which didn’t really fit in. A small shop selling second-hand goods, which I had seen on my walk, came to mind. I thought that given the touch economic conditions in the country, the owner might be in serious difficulties.
I asked my secretary to parcel up the candelabras and give them to the shopkeeper with a card, which read: ‘I am a little gift from the bishop. If you manage to sell this, please give the money to the poor. But if you need it for yourself, you can keep it.’
Unexpectedly, during the afternoon the man came to the bishop’s house. He insisted on seeing me, ‘Today I wanted to commit suicide, but when your secretary came, I realized that someone still cared for me, and I changed my mind. Many thanks!’
(Argentina)
Like the Early Days
One Saturday someone came to pay us a visit. When she was leaving, knowing that she had many children and that financially things were not going too well, we from the women’s focolare gave her all the fruit we had in the house: all we had for the week.
After a while another family visited us and, as they had been to the market, they offered us fresh apples and pears. We were happy because we saw it as the ‘give and it will be given to you’ from the Gospel.
In the afternoon, as an act of love, we had promised to go to a party organized by the local Italian community. We had decided to visit another needy family on the way and take them all the apples and pears we had received.
Once the party was over, before we left, the family who had invited us gave us a large box full of pears and apples from their orchard, all of excellent quality, along with a huge watermelon.
We were delighted that these experiences should happen not only in the early days of the Movement, but today too.
The words, ‘Give and it will be given in full measure…’ are for all times.
(New Zealand)
