Sharing

“I want what is coming to me!” “I want my share now!” Perhaps all of us at some time have said this or had the feeling that sharing with another is too much work. Wouldn’t life be easier if I just did my own thing and let others do theirs?

Luke’s Gospel reading is a well known parable of the Prodigal Son, a story which we have probably heard hundreds of time. The younger son was sick of living with his father and older brother and demanded his inheritance. As if his father had already died! But getting his share led to breaking relationship with family, friends and his native land with a devastating result. Only humility led him back to ask his father for forgiveness, which was readily given. But the Gospel ends with a question for us: “Did the brother of the Prodigal Son, who had not fled from his father, go to the homecoming party and thus forgive his brother?”

While it might be tempting to get our share now- we live in relationships, which give us life and meaning (though at times also pain). No one can escape the need for others. Sharing life, and our material goods is what Jesus is calling us to do because we are all brothers and sisters.

Do we see the poor as our brothers and sisters? Do we know that through prayer and small donations we can show real solidarity to organizations, like Mission Doctors, which help God’s poor around the world.