This was the jolly shout of the cheerful floor manager at a place where I had worked for two years. Before being promoted to this role, this happy fellow was my team leader and often times he’d gather the team for what was known as “coaching”. Here he’d emphasize the importance of selling ‘MAX’ which very simply were ‘add-on’ and/or excellent (?! ;-) offers we were to sell to the customers. We’d repeatedly hear the phrase “sell, sell, sell people!!!” and the most highlighted part of it would be the: “Its FREE people!!! FREE!!! Its on 14-day FREE home-approval!!! (so Sell Sell Sell)” …well it might have taken me some time to get used to this “MAX”, “Sell Sell Sell!” and “FREE” terminology …yet in the end I did pretty well :-)
…between you and me I even enjoyed it!!!! ;-)
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"When a man has had a great deal given him,
a great deal will be demanded of him;
when a man has had a great deal given him on trust,
even more will be expected of him."
(Luke 12:48)
I have received! I have received not just a Catholic Education but furthermore several Blessings! Sure there were ...and still are... hard times (one of my sister’s is already in heaven …so YES I know the meaning of ‘hard’) …but still I have RECEIVED!
Given that I have received soooooo much, I am (quoting Jesus’ words) “EXPECTED” to give! (again quoting Jesus’ words) A “great deal” is “DEMANDED” of me! Hence I DEFINITELY have a DUTY to give!!!
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On another occasion, upon sending his friends to proclaim the Good News, Jesus said to them:
"Freely you have received, freely give."
(Matt 10:8)
(God might have been quite like that “MAX” fellow!! He had good ‘selling’ skills!!! ;-) He seemed to emphasize the “Freely” quite a bit!! ;-)
No, the Catholic does NOT sell the True Faith or Teachings of Jesus Christ yet DEFINITELY i am to present the Truth of Jesus Christ to those around me! …at any place …at any time! …by all means!! At work it was my duty to sell! As a Catholic it is my duty to give! ...to give FREELY!! :-)
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I pray that God may strengthen me …and all those who have received… to give! To, as Mother Teresa would have said, “give until it hurts”.
That’s hard!
…but it’s possible for as St.Paul said:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
(Phillippians 4:13)
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Like, and with St.Francis, I’d like to Pray:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
I love this version of that prayer:
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On a different note:
“See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit”
(Luke 12:35)
On yesterday’s post I focused on the “get dressed” part of the sentence …yet today I thought a little about the second part of the same sentence: “have your lamps lit”. I did not put that which I thought of down in writing yet this would be the prayer I’d end it with:
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