Reflection for Monday June 3, Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs: Mark 12:1-12

Gospel: Mark 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. 

But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. 

He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?" 

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.

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Reflection:

A wealthy woman suddenly died without leaving a last will and testament. Instead of talking thing out and amicably settling the issue about her wealth the relatives were now wrangling as to who would get the biggest chunk of wealth.  Why were they squabbling about her wealth?  Because all of them were greedy nobody wants to give an inch on the wealth that they would have. 

Many families are like this, they were once living in peace and unity until the issue of wealth divided them. What can we gain with material wealth? It’s temporal riches that may fly from our hands anytime! Why is it that some of us are willing to sacrifice blood relationship for wealth? The simple answer is our greed! 

In our gospel for this Monday Jesus gives us a story that mirrors greed for wealth. Wealth that is temporary, wealth that we will not be able to bring us to the next life. And wealth that has been the cause of many conflicts in the family.

Instead of being greedy, why not be generous? Instead of holding on to wealth, why not give some of it away or give it all away? The rewards are unfathomable for those who would not hold on to their wealth. It may not be in this finite world but it surely will come to them when they are not anymore in this world.   

Would you be generous with your wealth? – Marino J. Dasmarinas