God Loves A Cheerful Giver

St. Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, among other things, asking for donations to support churches that are in need of help. He was quite the "marketer" for the cheerful giver phrase is still a household word. Here is the context in which it appears: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things always having all you need, you have have an abundance for every good work.: (2. Cor. 9: 6-9).
St. Lawrence, whose memorial we celebrate today, throughout his life and especially as a deacon, exhibited this kind of cheerful generosity. He was the treasurer of the Church in Rome and made sure that the poor were fed. He even sold some of the sacred vessels at one point to supplement his shrinking funds. His cheerful spirit is evident at the time he was asked to show the Prefect of Rome the Church's treasures, and he gathered the poor he was feeding and displayed them to the Prefect. His jesting on the gridiron as he was being roasted to death is legend. He believed, sowed abundantly, and reaped the crown of martyrdom.
Bro. Rene
Again, I will be asking the members of a parish to be "cheerful givers" this weekend, so I may not be able to cut a slice of bread tomorrow...However, I've been surprised in the past by the presence of Wi-Fi in the parish rectories where I've been staying. Take a look, anyway.