Cycle B - Year I:  

7 November 2021: Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        1 Kings 17:10-16

Second Reading:   Hebrews 9:24-28

Gospel:  Please Read  Mark 12:38-44 

Giving from the heart......!

Are we generous from the heart, or we just want to please others people?  This is a good question to ask ourselves when we help others.

For generosity is measured, not by the amount we give, but how much we value things we give up to help the needy.

The Gospel incident this Sunday is about a poor widow and rich people as they give their contributions to the treasury, which is dedicated to the use of the house of the Lord. Who among them is the more generous?

Our Lord is observing  how the crowd put money into the treasury.  He takes notice of a poor widow as she enters the temple of Jerusalem and makes a meager offering of two small coins.  Now Jesus contrasts her gift with that of some wealthy people who offer greater sums.  To the surprise of all, Jesus proclaims that the widow gave more than the others.  Because, according to our Lord, she gave "all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Now Jesus uses this incident to teach His disciples a dramatic lesson in giving with love.  Real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given out of love, with the spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is truly invaluable.  Contrast that with the gift that is given just for others to see, or for public display, which loses most of its value. For indeed love is more precious than gold.

At this point remember the Beatitudes... "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3)? So it is not our coin, but our hearts that open those gates in heaven.

When we give to God let us give from the wellspring of our hearts no matter how small so long as it is from our heart.  Let us do the same when we give to our fellowmen, especially the poor.

The love of God looks very much like this.  Our Lord Jesus Christ defines Christian love as the generous gift of self to others.  It begins with the reckless abandonment to God.  That means, placing all our trust in Him.  It is never easy.  Because it actually demands a spiritual leap off a cliff into the strong, loving arms of God. Yet, once we dwell in the embrace of God, then love becomes a self-emptying for the sake of the other.

So today's liturgical theme is not a measure of money, but of reliance on the Lord for sustenance.  It is not a lesson on tithing, but a revelation of the need to live in trust and faith in the Lord.

Sometimes, what we have to offer to the Lord may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it, and with us, what is beyond our reckoning.

In sum, there is joy and freedom in giving literally to God and neighbor with gratitude and love.  For giving all from the heart is what fulfills the human heart.

Let us pray: Lord, all that I have is  Yours. Take my life, my possessions, my time and all that I have and all that I am, and use them as You desire, for Your greater glory. Amen.  

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!