Generosity of Spirit - Matthew 3:13-17

In this Gospel, we celebrate the "initiation rite" that launched Jesus into public ministry.  We too (who have been baptized) celebrate our own "initiation rite".  Together with the other two Initiation Sacraments of Confirmation and Communion, our Baptism immerses us into the life of Christ and empowers us to live a holy life.  We become among his servants that God mentions in the First Reading: those he has chosen, those he is pleased with, and those upon whom he has put his Spirit.
 
The extent to which we have achieved fullness of that spirit that we've been gifted with as Christians, baptized into the ministry of Christ, can be revealed in the way we live our lives.  Have we been generous of spirit, living lives that replicate the humility and service of Christ?
 
We can make this distinction between generosity of spirit and simply being generous: Generosity of spirit is not something we merely do. It is the embodiment of who we are.  Undergirding those who possess a generous spirit is an awareness of God’s generosity to us. We in turn, as his baptized sons and daughters, share that generosity with others, and inspire those others along the way!
 
If we can put ourselves into the scene of Jesus' baptism as observers of this exchange between John the Baptist and Jesus, we would no doubt see the incredulity in John's face - "you want me to baptize you?"  John, in his humility, knew where he stood in relation to Christ.  He said that he's not worthy to carry his sandals. And here is Jesus, in his humility, submitting to John's baptism.  The exchange illustrates one generous spirit submitting to another generous spirit, as the messenger who was sent to prepare the way, passes the baton to the Messiah, who begins his public ministry.  Jesus truly becomes "God with us".
 
It prompts this question in me: How have we done in living out our baptismal calling, to be spirit filled and possessing a generous spirit?  As we look ahead to this new year of 2020, it’s easy to set measurable objectives for ourselves in many aspects of our lives, like for example, a weight loss or an income goal, but its not nearly as easy to access how we are doing in this less-than-tangible arena of spirituality.  There's no metric we could devise that would be of much use. But by digging a little deeper in what is meant by generosity of spirit, it might give us some insight into how we're doing in living out our baptismal calling.  I read a commentary that used an old Yiddish word to help explain it:
 
The word is "mensch", which loosely means “a good person”, but it goes deeper than that.  They listed four Jewish values that might provide us with some sense of what a "mensch" (or generous spirit) is. Let me go through them. It might give us a bit of a roadmap.
 
1) Help others: Sounds pretty simple. Whether someone needs a small favor, is in danger, or needs an encouraging word, a generous spirit tends to extend to others what they would wish for themselves.
 
In Proverbs it says, "Anxiety in a man's heart depresses it, but a kindly word makes it glad." It’s the generous spirit who encourages others.  Do you think that John the Baptist felt lifted up when Jesus asks him to baptize him?  How about when Jesus said, "Among those born of women, no one is greater than John the Baptist." Good day?  Jesus exemplifies for us service to others, helping others, lifting others, with encouragement.
 
The saying goes, "Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you.  Encourage me, and I'll never forget you!"  How unforgettable are we?  How have we done at helping others?
 
2) Do the right thing the right way: This helps us see the distinction between being generous and having a generous spirit a little more clearly.  Winston Churchill once said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." A generous spirit not only helps others but does so with the right attitude –and without expectation of return.  
 
For instance, if you help a friend locate a job. That is a Christ-like thing to do. But if you repeatedly joke that they "owe" you or brag about your influence to others, then a good act has been tarnished by a less-than Christ-like attitude of self-focus.
 
If we think about it, even the most sainted appearing activities we can engage in, can be done out of vainglory (look how good I am). At the end of the day, have our motivations been inwardly centered or have they been genuinely self-giving or self-donating, as some might put it?
 
3) Be a Peacemaker:  Today's Responsorial Psalm said, "The Lord will bless his people with peace." In a world that is drawn to conflict, we need to follow the example of the Prince of Peace.
 
In Thessalonians, it says, "See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good for both each other and for all." It was Ghandi who said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." 
 
When faced with injustice or aggression, we need to resist the classical responses of either returning the aggression with aggression or running from the conflict (ie fight or flight). A love-filled yet assertive approach in our interpersonal relationships, doing right even when it may be fraught with fear or conflict is no doubt pleasing to God.
 
There is a story that is told of Mother Teresa that exemplifies how standing on principle can not only stop the aggression but transform the perpetrator of it.  Mother Teresa went with a small child to a local baker and begged for bread for the young child. The baker, in response, spat fully in her face. Undaunted, she calmly replied, "Thank you for that gift to me. Do you have anything for the child?" As the story goes, the man changed by the experience
                                                                                                                   
Also attributed to Mother Teresa was a poem that was written on one of the walls at her home for children in Calcutta. It speaks to her nature:
 
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.  If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years building, others could destroy overnight. Keep building anyway.  If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.  The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway. This was Mother Teresa's recipe for peace.

 

4) Strive to be a Better Person: In Genesis, it teaches us that God created us in his own Divine image. This relationship between humanity and the Divine is an excellent reason to treat our bodies, minds and souls with respect, which can be anything from eating healthy to taking a moment every morning to appreciate the gift of another day.

 

By appreciating who we are, and whose we are, and striving to become the best possible versions of ourselves, we can enjoy life to the fullest and be a positive influence to all we encounter.  After all, as has been said many times before, "If you won’t be better tomorrow than you were today, then what need do you have for tomorrow?"

                                                                    
So, summarizing these four rather simple steps to a generous spirit:
We need to help others by extending to them what we wish for ourselves. It’s the golden rule personified.
 
Do the right thing for the right reasons – let our motivations be other-centered. Be a peacemaker- We need to carry with ourselves the quiet confidence that we share Christ's mission of humility and service, be instruments of his peace.
 
And no matter where we are today in our spiritual journey, we need to endeavor to not plateau. Instead, make ourselves a new creation in 2020.
 
If however we look at this roadmap as just another way of living out God's commandments, and obey them just because God said so, it will all likely become a burden to us and we may become discouraged.
 
Holiness will then be as difficult for us as it was for the folks of the Old Testament who lived by the letter of the law without the help of the Spirit of the law, the Holy Spirit.  Whereas the old laws allowed people to demand an eye for an eye when they were wronged, Jesus, who was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and Power, commanded: "Love to your enemies." And he gave us his Holy Spirit (who we focus on today) so that we could grow and flourish in our faith.
 
So, Jesus invites us as we begin this next season of the Church calendar, which we call Ordinary Time, to renew our baptismal commitment and journey with him to seek out a more spirit-filled life that exhibits a greater generosity of spirit.
 
When it comes to generosity, what should animate us is to remember the incredible generosity of God. Look at the world we get to live in. Look at the life he gave us. Look at the way he meets our needs. God is the perfect model of generosity. And when we are generous with others because of God’s generosity toward us, it points others to God.
 
We should be encouraged.  God has much in store for us, and he is always seeking to draw us into deeper fellowship and oneness with Him.  While our New Years resolutions may have already come and gone by now, no matter how many times we've blocked the Spirit from showing through us or how deeply we've fallen into sin, if we're willing to humbly and contritely, go to the cross and share Christ's mission as the suffering servant, God's response to us will always be, "these are my beloved sons and daughters, with whom I am well pleased."