Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. // Psalm 112:5

I followed my dear friend into her living room, lit only by lamps and candles. My eyes beheld the spread of food she had prepared for our small prayer group: berries, cheeses, chocolate-covered nuts, and springtime mocktails. As I dragged a sugar snap pea through the roasted cauliflower hummus, I choked back tears. 

“Would you like a blanket?” my friend asked, bringing me a cozy cover that consumed my body as it sank deeper into the couch. I exhaled.

My Bible rested in my lap as our group shared life updates. I held it closer as we dove below the surface, my oxygen in a sea of my sisters’ sorrows. 

Then, our friend prayed for us. She encouraged us, in Christ, to persevere in hope. Staggering under the weight of my own crosses, the entire night felt like a retreat. 

My friend is always incredibly generous. She is the kind of woman who lives today’s Responsorial Psalm (see Psalm 112), not just on the days she’s feeling generous, but every day.

Her own battle with cancer did not stop her from showering us with comfort and care that night. Through hospitality—but even more so through her witness—she loved her neighbor as herself (see Romans 13:9). Her generosity of spirit in the midst of her own suffering illustrated to me what Christ calls us to in today’s Gospel: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-33).

She is a true disciple.

Yes, my friend had long ago “counted the cost” of following Jesus wherever He leads. She found Him worthy. So her struggles, triumphs, and generosity are all borne from Him and for Him. The fruit her life bears? Love. His Love. 

Friends, our crosses can consume us. But when we allow the Lord to love through us, our lives become a testimony to His generosity and provision. 

Today, let’s allow Jesus, Whom we follow no matter the cost, to love others through us. How can you be generous toward someone today?