Have you ever stood in a field of blue bonnets in Texas?  When you look out at these wildflower you soon realize that the sun does not choose which flowers to shine upon based on their hues or stature. Instead, it generously casts its golden rays upon every blossom, every blade of grass, nurturing and illuminating them equally. Such is the essence captured by Maximus the Confessor when he speaks about divine imitation in almsgiving.

Imagine, if you will, a gentle rain shower. Each droplet descends from the heavens, indiscriminate in its purpose, eager to quench the thirst of every living thing below. It does not pause to ponder whether the land beneath it is barren or fertile, or whether the seeds sown are good or bad. Its mission is pure and simple: to nourish, to sustain, and to bring life.

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