Sirach 31:11. "His prosperity will be established and the assembly will relate his acts of charity." Sirach is speaking of a "rich man who is found blameless, and who does not go after gold." (Sirach 31:8). This kind of man, who has been tested by wealth but not fallen into sin over it, "[w]ho has had the power to transgress and did not transgress" (Sirach 31:10), has done wonderful things among his people and his charity will be extolled! I wrote about this verse in its larger context before in Blessed Are the Poor, But Sometimes Also the Rich, today I am going to add a bit of a personal twist.

God bestows gifts on each of us and wants us to use them in building His kingdom. Ultimately, though, it is up to us how we use them, and some gifts, like wealth, are much more likely to lead us astray than others. So Sirach is recognizing here that the man who is wealthy but does not become attached to his wealth will do wonderful things for the people. He has the means to do marvelous acts of charity, and he will do them because he is not clinging to his gold, and seeking nothing but more of it.

I have never been rich, at least not with money; in fact there have been times in my life when I have been very concerned about my family's financial situation, so I have learned to be frugal and prudent with money. This is not a bad way to be, but lately I have noticed that when I give generously to those in need or to the Church, without worrying or "counting the cost," God always keeps me in the black. Sometimes, when an unexpected expense pops up and I may begin regretting giving a little too much, a sudden windfall comes out of nowhere with just enough, if not even more, to alleviate my fears. I think God is showing me how to have a right relationship with money. He's showing me not to be too attached to it - He will always provide. It is the same lesson Sirach's rich man has already learned, just from a different angle - I'm learning it from the angle of resisting fear and trusting God rather than the rich man's temptation to give into greed. It may be a rich man like the one Sirach describes who helps me when and if I should ever need it. I have, in fact, been shown great generosity of spirit from very faithful Jewish friends who are living their faith and doing good with their gifts. That is how God uses us to help others if we allow Him to.

We are all rich in something, most of us in more than one thing, so we can take this reading and apply it to whatever our gifts are, even if they do not include wealth. We should share our gifts generously, using them to help others, and not just for the sake of seeking wealth, financial security, or our own pleasure. God will replenish what we give in this spirit, and that is how we get His Kingdom to come!