WHAT CAN YOU GIVE WHEN YOUR ACCOUNT IS IN THE RED?
Leo XIV’s November prayer intention is for the proper use of wealth. His list includes our time and the things we know how to do.
When you hear “the proper use of wealth,” you might picture someone with a much healthier bank balance. You’ve just paid two bills, said “I’ll think about it” to a pair of boots, and are trying to make dinner from the three things left in the fridge. Then, in his November prayer video, Leo XIV puts money, time, talents and opportunities on the same line. Suddenly that line is a lot closer to home.
Maybe you can do something that’s routine for you and a stumbling block for someone else. Fill in an online form. Fix a CV. Work out which bus goes to the clinic. Or maybe you have half an hour for someone who’d love to tell you all about their day if you called.
Helping takes a spot in the diary
In one part of the prayer, Leo asks forgiveness for the times we’ve held back what we could have shared. That “we” is worth hearing. It’s a question to ask while looking at the calendar, before deciding what can go in the shopping basket.
Start with something you’ve put off because you thought you needed an entire afternoon. The lift you can give on Tuesday. The CV you can read after dinner. If you want to give money, pick an amount that fits your budget and decide where it should go. Put a day or an amount to it and the intention already has a little more shape.
A prayer for today
Lord, help me notice who might need something I have. Help me make time and share what I can with joy. When I’m the one who needs a hand, help me ask without shame.
If someone came to mind while you were praying, perhaps that’s who you can text as soon as you finish.
