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(коляда)

You are listening to the “Good Samaritan” Ukrainian RadioProgram, under the patronage of the Buffalo Ukrainian Catholic Deanery. Our intention is to bring the word of God to all of you, who are unable to attend church on Sundays. Please say a prayer for the success of this project!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Someone once said that there are three kinds of givers: the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb.  To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it.  And then you get only chips and sparks.  To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more pressure you apply, the more you will get.  But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Which type of giver are you?  In today's Gospel reading, Jesus is approached by a rich young ruler and asked a very serious question.  "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit Eternal life"?  There are a lot of people today in a state of searching, not willing to accept the simple truth that if you confess with your mouth and believe with your heart that Christ rose from the dead, then you shall inherit Eternal life.  For what is impossible for man is made possible through the Grace of God.  Jesus knew that this rich young ruler lacked the most important things: compassion, self-sacrifice, and generosity, and if we want to follow Jesus then we must choose to be like Him.  First, the young man addresses Jesus as "good teacher".  There is nothing wrong with calling Jesus ‘good teacher’, as long as you do not believe that is all that He is.  But this man comes to flatter Jesus, hoping to be likewise satisfied with a positive response.  And evidently, Jesus thought that this man was using terms and treating subjects too lightly, so he counters with a question of his own: "Why do you call me good, only God is good"?  Jesus was asking this man to search deep inside his heart, Jesus was saying, ‘If you are calling me good then in an absolute sense you are calling me God.  But are you ready to follow Me as God’?

Jesus knew that some men and women, such as this rich young ruler, are merely taller children.  Honor, wealth, and splendor seem to be the toys for which grown children pine, but which, however accumulated, still leave them disappointed and unhappy.  Real wealth is found in people and relationships, not in money and possessions.  And perhaps that is why Saint Luke tells us that the rich man became very sad when Jesus told him, "Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, then come and follow Me".  We must never allow our possessions to get in the way of allowing Jesus to lead us.  Jesus knew the problem was not really money, the problem was priority - and this rich man's money took precedence over everything else.  Even though he claimed to have kept all the commandments, in reality he had broken the very first one.  Still, Jesus made the generous offer to him.  "Correct that situation and have real treasure in heaven; Eternal life."  But this young ruler sadly walked away.  This man rejected Christ's proposal.  He chose possessions over God.  And there is a painting by George Watts of this encounter.  Where the rich young ruler is walking away from Jesus and all you can see is the man’s back.  His shoulders are drooped, his head is hanging in dejection, and he is obviously filled with despair.  But on his right hand are still his rings. You see, he still has his wealth, he still has his pride, but that also brings his emptiness.  Therefore begging the question: What keeps any of us from giving ourselves over completely to God?

There was a pastor in a small town who had been elected the chairman for the ‘Needy Children's’ charity drive.  The pastor made his appeal to the community as a whole; he spoke in the town's hall, the town's school, and the town's church.  He was committed to raising a handsome some of money to provide for all the children in need.  His whole life was dedicated to the needs of others, and this charity drive was just another fine example of the kind nature and compassion for which this pastor was well known.  So when word came back that his only son had contributed only a dime to the collection at school, it came as no surprise that the pastor was greatly bothered by his son's seemingly insignificant contribution.  Especially when he knew that his son had saved a considerable sum in his piggy bank.  Certainly, the boy was young of age, but hadn't his father set him a fine example of how one should always be giving.  Here he was, the pastor of the community and the head of the charity drive, and his own boy only gave a dime in contribution.  His identity was attached to his son, and he thought this was a bad reflection on himself.  Many times, the pastor had explained to his son why he should give more to charity, but every time his son would say that he could not give more because he was saving his money to buy something else.  The pastor grew very disappointed, because he assumed his boy was saving money to buy something that he wanted for himself.  The pastor shook his head in disbelief.  How could his own son be so thoughtless, when he had raised his boy to be extra giving?  The pastor had used many examples to explain to the boy just how important sharing was, and finally the pastor became so irritated with his son, that he sent him to his room without dinner.  The pastor's wife scolded her husband for being too overly concerned about what others would think of him.  And she reminded him that their son was a very good and thoughtful boy, and that they had raised him well.  When the pastor thought for a while, he called his son down for supper and was willing to forgive the boy for not being more generous in this situation.  After all, every young boy tries to save for something, and he knew that his son had been setting aside his allowance for a long time.  It was only then that the pastor's son spoke up and told his father what he was saving his hard-earned money for.  It seems there was a girl in his school who was desperately in need of a coat, and he was saving his money so he would have enough to buy her a nice, warm coat before the cold weather broke.  The pastor was taken by complete surprise, and so overjoyed that he did not know what to say, so he asked his son, "Why didn't you tell me what you were saving your money for?  I would have understood and gladly helped you".  To which his son replied, "But you never asked me, and besides, you always told me that there is no need for others to know the good things that we do, because the Lord knows and that is plenty enough".  Sometimes, things are not always what they seem.

Children follow by our examples, and they listen to the lessons that we take the opportunity to teach them.  Perhaps it does not seem that way at times, especially during those trying teenage years, but even Jesus seemed ordinary to the people of his time, and the results of His mission were extraordinary.  Many times in life, we are given the chance to be compassionate, and the only recognition that we truly need is the knowledge that our service has been pleasing to the Lord.  Eternal life is a gift, and Jesus is not saying that one cannot be financially secure or even wealthy to share in this gift.  Today, Jesus is asking us to look within our hearts and find the motive behind our intentions.  He is asking us to follow Him, and to lead a life that is one of generosity and self-sacrifice.  Many people believe that in order to follow Christ you must deny every pleasure in life, almost to the point of resentment – but there are many wealthy people in the world who give generously from their hearts.  Jesus knows our intentions, and I have often found that giving to others leads to some of the greatest pleasures in life.  But we have to be willing to follow Christ is order to know how to give.

I am reminded of a missionary I once met in College.  He came to visit the Newman Center I attended in Fredonia, and his goal was to raise money for the needy children overseas.  We were fascinated by what seemed to be his genuine passion and commitment toward those in need around the world, so much so, that many of us filled the church waiting to hear him speak.  While on a tour in the Middle East, he had observed a hungry little girl outside a bakery window.  She had fallen asleep with her face pressed against the window that separated her from the freshly baked bread inside.  He took slides of that scene.  And when he made his presentation to our church, he climaxed his program with that picture, and an appeal for people to share Christ, the Living Bread, with a hungry world.  Following his presentation, I asked the missionary, “So what did you do about it?”  “About what?” he replied.  “About the little girl asleep at the bakery window, what did you do for her?”  To which the missionary just looked at me and became silent.  It made me realize that quite often ambition, no matter how noble the intention, can easily lead to short-sightedness.

It is good to be giving to others, and Christ has taught us in today's Gospel, that “…it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God”.  But compassion needs to begin in the heart, and it must involve our willingness to become actively involved, and not just leave things the way they are - expecting that others will come along and do what we should have done.  The wealthy young ruler had every intention of listening to Christ; otherwise he would not have gone down on his knees and asked Jesus how to inherit Eternal life.  He had followed the Ten Commandments all of his life, so he expected an easy solution, a flattering answer like the manner in which he approached Christ.  But what was missing?  The same thing that is missing in many peoples' lives, the desire to allow Christ to lead them.  Even the disciples asked Jesus, “Then who can be saved”?  Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”  The change that Jesus brings can affect every part of our experience here on earth.  And when we allow Christ to live in our hearts, then He will place our entire life in order, and lead us down the path of righteousness and into the Kingdom of God.  Jesus is looking for people to be giving and compassionate to one another.  My brothers and sisters, I ask you again - which type of giver are you?

Christ is born! Let us Glorify Him!

Youhave been listening to the Good Samaritan, Ukrainian Radio Program. If you have any questions, commentaries, or suggestions, please contact us at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, located at 308 Fillmore Avenue, in Buffalo, NY 14206. Our telephone number is area code 716-852-7566.

We received the following donation:

A $25.00 John Godzuk in living memory of wife Ann. May God grant her Eternal rest – Vichnaya pam’yat!

A $25.00 donation from Dmytro & Dolores Baranycky.

Thank you for your generosity and may the good Lord bless you a hundredfold.

Please join us again next Sunday at 2:00 PM, on WJJL 1440 AM for the “Good Samaritan Ukrainian Radio Program”.