Dear friends, last Sunday in the liturgy of the word, we read from the book of Deuteronomy and indeed reaffirmed in the gospel reading that love of God with all our hearts and mind and strength is the greatest of the commandments and love of neighbour in like manner is equally important. Robert Cardinal Sarah says in the book GOD OR NOTHING loving God is not a personal insurance; it is an imperative to share. So we who have committed our soul, strength and mind to loving God must obligatorily love our neighbor.
We pray that good Lord will grant us the grace to follow his command and by so doing find the light and love of his kingdom. Amen. Today, a special theme and a consequential message is placed before us as Jesus admonishes us against greed. We have as a matter of fact in our society demonized poverty and glorified wealth, when what really matters is what we do in our state in life, whether rich or poor. Our problem in the society is not the needy but greedy; for it is less of a problem to be poor than to be dishonest. In our first reading today we read of the wonderful encounter between Elijah and the widow of Zarephat, the pagan territory in the Phoenician land.
If the woman had been less than sincere with the prophet about what she had, the miracle could easily have been forfeit. However in her state of lack, she declared that it was just little left for her and her son, but God had more in store and the words of the prophet came throughthe jar of oil was not spent neither did the bin of flour fail.1Kings. 17:16. The little that she had, she was willing to share with this stranger. Friends in our gospel reading today Mark the Evangelist wants all of us to pay heed to Christ’s teachings before he enters his passion.
Today particularly he wants us to know that as God Christ knows and see not only the physical and outward appearances, but also the secret intentions of our heart. The scribes who paraded themselves in pomp and vainglory in today’s gospel thus came undone. The harsh nature of Christ’s words today calls us all to reflect on ourselves, to hold up the mirror of the gospel to the community we belong to and not just to some of its members. We should ask ourselves how we carry ourselves when in position of leadership and authority in the church. Do we like some scribes put on air and become vain? This is a snare that no one is inoculated from. As such we all must be vigilant and must also pray for those who by virtue of their ministry are exposed to all sorts of dangers.
Also we must help them by not flattering them. Finally and no less important, we must know that we ought to present ourselves before God rather than men. How God see us is the most important thing. The second part of the gospel of today tells us of how God saw the gift offering of the widow, even when it seemed that compared to all others she had done nothing . It is not the case that there was no value in the giving of large sums by the rich, the contrast is drawn from the surplus from which the rich contribute and the very livelihood which the widow gives. The rich in this case from the abundance of their wealth honour God but the widow consecrates her entire self to God. In the last analysis we see that what is discussed here is not big money and coins.
The money deposited in the treasury was not destined for the poor, it was for the upkeep of the temple worship. It was therefore in some way an offering made directly to God. In the widows offering of her entire livelihood; all that she had, Jesus saw an evocation of the total gift of himself. The words of St. Theresa of Kolkata tells us that intense love does not measure, it just gives In our daily living we have admirable tales of people who came to the aid of others when called upon. Poor people who extended generosity to those poorer than themselves and these tales are all inspiring.
We have heard poor people who sent alms with notes of apology for not being able to do more and we marvel at the magnanimity of the act while drawing strength and courage from it. We all know that it is often the case that we counsel prudence that must moderate generosity however let us know that God sees and judges our heart. This should not in any way deter us but inspire us to greater endeavors in the service of God’s household.
Giving without reserve like the two widows in our readings today is what God wants from us, not necessarily from abundance or from penury but from our hearts. To give all; to spare nothing for the sake of Christ, his Gospel and his kingdom. We pray dearest friends, that now and always, in this and every place the good Lord will grant us the grace of total self giving, to give without reserve, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
