saint of the day :: St. Margret of Scotland

There are two ways to be charitable: the "clean way" and the "messy way." The "clean way" is to give money or clothing to organizations that serve the poor. The "messy way" is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor. Margaret's outstanding virtue was her love of the poor. Although very generous with material gifts, Margaret also visited the sick and nursed them with her own hands. She and her husband served orphans and the poor on their knees during Advent and Lent. Like Christ, she was charitable the "messy way."

Our community gathered last night and seriously considered our role in narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. We read from the lectionary (Matthew 25:14-15,19-29) and tried to turn our thoughts from the overused interpretation of "make the most of the talents you've got," to a message that is much closer to "care for those whom the world would leave destitute."

I need to find some way to get messy this advent season.

Jesus sends us out to be shepherds, and Jesus promises a life in which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadeship in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people. - Henri Nouwen