Giving and Receiving

Giving and Receiving

by Bill Tolone

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer...

Whoever brings blessings will be enriched"

(Proverbs 11:24-25)

"Giving and Receiving."  It seems as though we at Clare House "give" to the poor and the poor "receive" from us.  But, it's just the opposite.  It's no coincidence that we as Clare House volunteers meet every week with our sisters and brothers who line up for food.  Whether we call these meetings something that is pre-ordained by God, or a God-moment, the fact is that we are brought together.  Now, it's up to us to work something out.

Giving and receiving of food is pretty routine.  Some people are inside Clare House ready to give food and others outside in line are eager to receive food.  However, become part of the conversations between people in the food line and you realize that there's something much greater going on.  They share their experiences, and their food, and sometimes their books for the Little Free Library with each other.  In other words, our sisters and brothers in the food line are providing an excellent example of what Dorothy Day, and Tina Sipula, have in mind and practice about ministering to the poor. 

The poor are the first to minister to each other.  We need to "receive" from them and do our part.