Go Givers

On this Monday, the second week of Lent, I am failing miserably with one of my Lenten observances. I planned to write a blog post each day of Lent, 46 posts in 46 days.   Not because there is much demand for my thoughts, but because it makes me slow down, think and write of an aspect of my relationship with God and my faith.  Today, I write about Robert Maurin.

Yesterday, our Adult Education class viewed the second episode in the Catholicism Series written and narrated by Father Robert Barron. Titled, The Teachings of Jesus, the video explores the Beatitudes, the non-violent teachings of Jesus and Matthew 25.  It is somewhat of a coincidence (or not) that we viewed this episode on the second Sunday in Lent. If you haven’t seen this disc, it is well worth the 50 minutes of your time.

The teachings explored were rich with meaning and it will take some time to digest all that Fr. Barron had to convey.  The phrase that really got my attention was a quote from Robert Maurin.  He, along with Dorothy Day, founded the Catholic Workers Movement in the 1930’s.

Maurin wrote, The order of the day is to talk about social order. . . I want a change, and a radical change.  I want a change from an acquisitive society to a functional society, from a society of go-getters to a society of go-givers.

What a wonderful attitude to have this Lent – and always.

 I experienced a concrete example at lunch today.  As I waited in line to pay for my food, a man in another line was making all kinds of noise.  He is homeless - I’ve passed him on the street a number of times.  He had collected enough money for a coffee and was ordering it the best he could.  The man in front of me ordered and paid for a sandwich for the homeless man.  The man receiving the sandwich offered his fist to the man ordering and they bumped fists! My heart warmed at the exchange. “Go giver,” I thought.

 As I write this piece, I am watching the benefactor sit in a warm place and enjoy his food.  Occasionally he makes a loud noise and the restaurant manager kindly comes over and reminds him to be quiet. He appears to be savoring each and every bite of the sandwich.  A simple act brought joy to another.

I wonder how I can become a Go Giver today.