In the commodities found in life’s marketplace there is an inflexible law: the fewer there are the more valuable they become, and the more there are the less value each one has. Currency is devalued when more and more of it is printed and put into circulation. The less in circulation, the more value each unit has.

So what does that have to do with life in our parishes, our families of faith? It’s all about time, our valuable time generously donated to our parish’s volunteer efforts. To be sure, we need to support our parish ministries with our monetary donations. But more so, our time is increasingly precious.

It’s no secret that most of us find that our commitments are being stretched, stretched because they require commitments over lengths of time greater than those that are simply occasional. This is particularly true for parents of school children. The demands put upon them are greater than the supply of time that they have. Many parents live in near frenzied lives. They greatly value their time.

In my days as a pastor I once printed this little ditty in my parish’s bulletin: “There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

The blame game accomplishes nothing. Loving generosity with your time accomplishes a whole lot. Charitable contributions of your money are valuable and appreciated, but donating your valuable time is precious in the eyes of God. Love has no limits.

The Bible tells us that our treasure is where our heart is. Perhaps we should add: “Our treasure is where we invest our time.”