Jesus asks us to live generously. There is no qualification in this.

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

In this time when the news is full of crashing banks and global financial turmoil it can feel frightening for us as fear and panic set in to the markets. But Jesus says

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Let’s be quiet for a minute and let the peace of Christ fill our hearts.

Silence

When we speak up for the poor and against injustice, we speak up for a world that is not ruled by monetary systems and financial power, we speak up instead for a world guided by generosity, mercy and justice.

Even in the coming difficult times for us we remember...

• Those carrying the pain of the food crisis in their stomachs
• Those buffeted by the changing climate whose livelihoods depend on the land
• Those losing work as fleeting investment moves on in our open markets
• Those whose communities crumble as they are changed by the pressures of outside interests

And we pray for our commitment to challenging injustice and continuing to give to the poor and for the oppressed

Lord Jesus, give us the courage to keep you first in our lives. To hold your values as the guiding light of our lives. To continue to live in a spirit of generosity. Give us opportunities to be generous to our brothers and sisters who are suffering in a way we could never imagine. And to live in a way that reflects the peace Christ brings to his children who know they are safe in his eternal love.

Amen

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