A good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing
Father David from Kenya wrote, “I was helping a poor refugee boy I had gotten to know during the mission in Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya by paying for his schooling. After a while, however, I ran out of money and was no longer able to support him. I explained this difficulty to him, and we said goodbye to one another.
After some time, this boy sent me a message via social media asking me for help again. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to help him so I decided to sell a cow I had at my parents’ house to pay for his schooling. He was so happy to be able to go back to school again.
In the new parish where I have been living for almost a year, the parishioners decided to visit me one day because they had heard that my father was not well. Among the gifts they brought were three cows. I could not believe it. It really seemed as if God wanted to say to me: “a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6: 38).
Father David (Kenya)
For my brothers and sisters in Lebanon
After the disaster of August 4, 2020, in Beirut, Lebanon, I asked myself what I could do to help this troubled country. A few days later, it would be my birthday, my 40th. My family and friends wanted to celebrate with me, even if it was just a simple meal. This occasion could be the perfect opportunity to help the people of Lebanon, I thought. So I asked all those coming to the dinner not to give me any presents but to make a donation to my project to help Beirut. At the end of the evening, I was amazed by the amount of money raised: a whopping 600 euros! I never imagined it would be so much, especially since there were very few guests at the dinner because of COVID restrictions.
This gesture then caused a chain reaction among my friends. Emilia gave the proceeds from her graduation to another project while Francesco decided to sponsor a child in a developing country for his birthday. Even the children in the neighborhood, after they heard about our birthday initiative, gave the proceeds of the sale of products made with recycled materials they had organized, again for Lebanon! “Freely you have received, freely give…” (Matthew 10:8). This is what we strongly believe in, always, when we receive and when we give.
L., Ischia (Italy)
A chain of the hundredfold
One day I was in a sandwich shop, waiting to buy a sandwich, and I had just enough money for one. As I was coming out of the shop, I saw a lady looking at everyone who was eating. I realized she was hungry and was waiting for someone to offer her something to eat. I took out my sandwich and gave it to her. I can always eat something later, I said to myself. She was overjoyed. Then I took her to the fruit shop and asked the vendor if he could give her some fruit which I would pay for the following day since I had no money at that moment. The vendor gladly gave the lady not just one piece of fruit, but a whole bag of fruit, free of charge. I was so happy to see how a simple sandwich could start a chain of the hundredfold.
X., Mumbai (India)
Lorenzo Russo
