The Church of the Resurrection in Tempe shared a recent message from their pastor on the concept of charity. 

"The parable that Jesus told his listeners (the chief priests and elders of the people) was a warning: they have been entrusted so much but they proved unworthy," the Rev. Romeo Dionisio said in the Oct. 4 church bulletin.

While they had been entrusted with special information and privileges, they were not faithful stewards of it. Rather, they had squandered it and were no longer worthy. 

"We, Christians, are the people of the New Covenant," Dionisio said. "We are the people with whom Jesus has established a new covenant with a fresh mandate: to spread the message of love and caring for one another."

The New Covenant is a community of individuals who are supposed to care for others, be focused on loving one another and overall pointing back to God, who is the source of all good things. 

Dionisio shared a story of three soldiers who came to a small village that was suffering hardship. 

"The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders," Dionisio said. "'Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones.' Naturally the villagers were intrigued, and soon a fire was put to the town’s greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones."

The soldiers continued as if they were creating a great soup, and slowly but surely the villagers started contributing some ingredients that they had: parsley, salt, barley, beef, cream and more. 

The entire village ate and celebrated. In the morning, the people offered the soldiers a gift of breads and cheese.

"'You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones,' said an elder, 'and we shall never forget,'" Fr. Dionisio stated. "The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: 'There is no secret, but this is certain: It is only by sharing that we may make a feast.' And off the soldiers wandered, down the road." 

It is this kind of charity that we are called to as well.