Sirach 3 & 4
Giving to the Poor
Giving to the poor can make up for sin, just as water can put out a blazing fire. Anyone who responds to others with acts of kindness is thinking of the future, because he will find help if he ever falls on hard times.
My child, don't prevent the poor from making a living, or keep them waiting in their need. Never give a hungry person any cause for resentment or anger. Don't add to the troubles of someone who is already desperate. If he is in need, don't put off giving to him. Don't refuse to help a beggar who is in distress. Don't turn your back on a poor person or give him any reason to curse you. If he becomes so bitter that he does curse you, his Creator will hear his prayer.
Make yourself popular in the synagogue. Bow your head to men of authority. Listen to what the poor have to say, and answer them politely. Protect people from those who want to wrong them, and be firm in your judgements. Be like a father to orphans, and provide widows with the help their husbands can no longer give them. Then you will be like a child of the Most High, and he will love you more than your own mother does.
By nature, I am quite an impulsive person as far as small children and old people are concerned. They are truly my weakness. At times I have been fooled by appearances. But in my opinion, we should never regret it if we discover that our good deeds were mistaken and we were wronged. Our first reaction should be to help and offering help should be the genuine sign of being a good human which our parents taught us to be. Sometimes, we may discover we helped the wrong person, but that should not be a reason to stop helping other people in need, even though we were fooled previously.
My desire was to study medicine, become a doctor and serve the poor and needy. But it remained a dream. However, I have learnt in time that if we want to do good and help the needy, there are several opportunities everywhere and I have found them in visiting unknown patients in the Government hospitals, a ritual and a hobby of my maternal grandmother to visit the hospitals every Sunday when I was a young child. I loved my hand gripped in my grandmother's and we would both walk hand in hand in the wards meeting and talking to patients during visiting hours. It was awesome and quite fascinating for me. Perhaps my desire to be a doctor stemmed from watching the doctors and nurses on rounds. I love and follow my grandma's hobby as often as I can when time permits and I am alone and it satisfies me a lot. So don’t let the fools spoil your good heart, whether I have a good heart or not, well that is God's territory. He knows🤗
The turmoil caused by the COVID 19 pandemic is playing havoc in the lives of millions of people from all around the world. Most of us may be living comfortably in our apartments or houses and not getting affected by hunger, sickness, poverty, loss of jobs during this time of despair. But there are so many people out there who may not have eaten a proper meal in the last few days or months for lack of jobs and children orphaned. We are all in this together. We all can do our bit. Let's feed the hungry and help the less fortunate among us. We can together make this world a better place.
"I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, ‘How many good things have you done in your life?’ rather he will ask, ‘How much love did you put into what you did?”
Mother Teresa
Good night friends 😇
