Infinite Abundance

A Reflection on the Second Reading for June 27th, 2021:
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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2 Corinthians
8.7, 9, 13-15

Brothers and sisters: Now as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you — so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor so that by his poverty you might become rich.

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.

As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

For the past six weeks, I have worked as a student on an in-patient mental health and addictions unit, and I am learning to find a “fair balance” between my “present abundance” and others’ needs. There have been times in my life when I have had serious struggles with my mental health. By God’s grace, years of fruitful therapeutic relationships, and hard work in personal reflection and growth, I am currently in a healthy place. This is so important now that I am serving patients as a therapist, often accompanying them during painful and distressing times.

My role requires me to practice and grow in patient-centeredness — focusing on the identified needs of others, based on what they communicate to me directly and indirectly, in order to help people achieve functional goals in daily life to promote health and wellness. In training, I was encouraged to intentionally “use myself” as a therapeutic tool, because who I am and how I show up in interactions can promote healing. This is beautiful and risky, and the practice cannot be coerced. I need to be mindful how I might overextend myself, burn out, or become overly invested, and I must be aware that if I am not generous enough with my gift of self, I can come across as cold, uncaring, and distant. I am discovering how “worth it” the risk is though, as I witness how patients develop trust and choose to dedicate themselves to engaging in treatment.

There are similar dynamics in other relationships, and in this reading we hear St. Paul’s appeal to the Church in Corinth to choose to give of themselves generously for the benefit of others — also seeking balance and not forcing the gift. They are encouraged to give out of their abundance to help provide for the church in Macedonia, who are in poverty and need, while also considering their community’s well-being. We can sometimes be tempted to hold onto riches from a place of self-preservation — even when we have more than enough — due to fear. But there is no room for fear in Love, who calls us to become a sincere gift of self.

This does not mean giving to the point of self-destruction, but, rather, it means first fully receiving all that God has for us and then surrendering it back in abandonment and trust. The Holy Spirit may invite us to make incredible sacrifices for love, but always in ways that promote our oneness with Him — and as we learn to choose unifying actions, we also discover God’s infinite abundance. Through Christ’s gift of self, we have access to all the fullness of the Father’s love.

And this is our mission: to lead others to the Source, to God’s unfathomably perfect and abundant love. Let us accept it with generous and joyful hearts, with hope that others will be prepared to heal and to receive Him.




Kendra L.

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