Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other
contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus
wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole
livelihood."
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told of a
poor woman who saw Jesus. Having nothing, she went to Jesus to beg for alms.
But to her surprise, Jesus asked her this question: “What can you give me
instead?” The poor woman replied to Jesus, “I’m poor; I have nothing to give
you.” However, the poor woman wasn’t entirely truthful because she did have a
small coin in her pocket that she could have offered to Jesus.
The poor widow in the
gospel is the opposite of the poor woman in our story. She gave everything she
had, did not lie, and gave from the wellspring of her heart. The rule in giving
is to always give from the heart; the amount or quantity doesn’t matter. What
is important is that we give sincerely. What is the use of giving if what we
give is merely from our surplus?
When we give to God, let
us give from the heart, no matter how small, as long as it is sincere. Let us
do the same when we give to our fellowmen, especially the poor. Let us not give
only from our surplus, for this act of giving is not pleasing to God.
Whatever we give will
surely come back to us, not just a hundredfold but a thousandfold. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
No comments:
Post a Comment