Sharing is a language that is difficult to learn and to practice.

Lord! thank you for all the abundant graces and blessings, good health and good fortune, peace and prosperity, material stuff and provisions that You have always showered upon us. This is a prayer of gratefulness that we say everytime we receive a blessing. We simply feel good about it, elated, filled. All right, God is beaming, but the look in His eyes indicates that there is a footnote attached to our being in high spirits. Our blessings are so great, considering it is God Himself sending them down to us. Nothing seems greater. But there is something beyond that is of great significance, too. This one falls on our part, a task we should do. It is just the simple act of doing a good turn - sharing our blessings. This is the footnote God is transmitting to us. He will surely smile twice. And He will do more than smile.

In the Bible, God surprised the Hebrews who were starving in the wilderness when He rained down manna from heaven. Actually, long, long before this miraculous "parachuting of rations," God had already poured down all kinds of manna on every spot in the world - abundantly, proportionately, ingeniously. This includes all the special fruits and other goodies in Eden. Find a sea without fish. Find a sky without birds. Find a field without beasts. Find a land without plants. These are manifestations of manna that He is supplying to us as our daily bread. These manna are on the house - our Father's house.

Aside from the loaves and fishes, God also provides bounteous manna for the soul. Our soul, as we know, needs spiritual food, as well. These are the graces of love and faith, inspirations and promises, wisdom and guidance. These are the boons of purity, sincerity and openness of the heart. These are the benedictions of good feelings and good characteristics, of graciousness and thoughtfulness, of charity and service. When we are full of all these nourishments, our soul will never be lost and hungry.

Manna must come with a heavenly touch. Anything we come up with - creations and inventions, arts and crafts, sciences and technologies - are man-made by-products of the manna of intelligence, talents and senses. We don't make diamonds, we find them. We don't build emotions, we feel it. We don't grow flowers, we plant them. Our fish is a U-boat. Our bird is a plane. Our beast is a robot. Our plant is the artificial Christmas tree.

The raining down from above of bounties, premiums and giveaways, as well as spiritual sustenance is the true essence of manna. These blessings flow into our belly and our inner self, taking care of our daily manna. Even if these are all Godsent, He does not collect a single centavo from us. Since these are all freebies, He expects us to share with one another. It is assured that we will never run out of necessities, be it material or spiritual, because the more we share, the more the rewards, gifts and favors. Remember, these are all on the house.

Life relies on all these blessed manna, without which it cannot roll on. An empty stomach demands essential nutrition for it to pump on. A disarrayed soul cries for a guiding light to help clean up the mess. As these predicaments can swoop down on others, it can loom upon us, too. We need to look after each other. We have to be there helping, encouraging, consoling. This is where the put-us-to-the-test sharing comes in.

Sharing is a term that is difficult to learn and practise. Characteristically, a person is not expected to just dig into his coffers for the silver pieces and throw them around. Usually, he is being implored to help and then compelled to act. Most likely, it is with reluctance and soreness before he coughs up with the cash. It takes a lot of butt-kicking to make him willing. Sensibly, to carry out voluntary sharing is not difficult. It is not a mountain-moving effort. One is just madly in love with possessions. One clings to them, deliriously happy to bear the brunt of the guilt feelings of avarice, apathy and bigotry.

Of course, we are not forgetting the well-meaning souls who give, serve and care. They are the magnanimous, accommodating, remarkable breed. There is a call for us to emulate them, to see how they approach life, to see how they bring light to it. For example, for the heavenly manna dropped on us, we must welcome them with no greed in the heart, but with gladness to be able to apportion to others. To the hungry and destitute, we break the bread. To broken souls, we respond with love. After all, we are merely partaking of these manna blessings that are, in a way, on loan to us. It is wise to share with others because they will pay heaven their part of the bargain.

Bread and love represent the perfect ingredients for manna-making. Manna, as defined, refers to the substance of food falling from heaven for the Israelites. It also signifies the spiritual nourishment of the bread and wine partaken during the Last Supper. Every benefit, windfall, bonanza or the like that comes to us unexpectedly is identified as manna from heaven. So, if we heartily provide someone a bread-and love package, it will be the ultimate, excellent and exquisite gift of food ever.

I suppose you are counting your many blessings. Have you counted the blessings you have shared?