A reminder from St. James

Do not be deceived, my beloved. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. James 1:16-27

Today's Epistle from the Daily Office is an important and comforting reminder to us today. It is, first of all, a reminder that every good thing is from God, who provides everything we have, and gives us all we need to become the people God desires for us to be. These are words of comfort in a world that that is ever changing and uncertain -- God is God, and does not change.

The second reminder is that we have some responsibility in all this -- God provides us with all we need, but it is up to us to do something with it. Not to hide our light under a basket or to bury our two talents safely in the ground -- to borrow a couple of Gospel metaphors -- but to become the "first fruits" of all that God has given us. Be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act -- they will be blessed in their doing.

As you go through your day, how can you be a doer of the word? What will be the blessed fruit of your day today?

Have a blessed and fruitful day! Your brother in Christ, Don+