Homily (Reflection) for Saturday of
the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (I) (10th June, 2017) on the Gospel
(Our Lady of Saturday, Opt Mem.)
Tob 12:1.5-15.20;
Tob 13:2.6-8. (R. v.1);
Mk 12:38-44.
Topic: Widow’s mite.
Often
people talk about widow’s mite especially while giving. We see that widow in
today’s gospel. As Jesus watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. “Many
rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins,
which are worth a penny” (Mk 12: 41-42).
Jesus said to His disciples,
Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all
those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed
out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she
had, all she had to live on (Mk 12:43-44).
William Barclay rightly draws some lessons from this poor
widow’s offering: Real giving must be sacrificial. The amount of the gift never
matters so much as its cost to the giver, not the size of the gift, but the
sacrifice. Again, Real giving has a certain recklessness in it[1].
Therefore, an offering cannot be correctly tagged ‘widows
mite’ based on the amount but based on what the giver has. Hence, Saint Paul writes:
“the gift is acceptable according to what one has–not according to what one does
not have” (2Cor 8:12). Give in
relation to what God has blessed you with.
Bible Reading: 1Cor 12:1-30; 2Cor 8:1-15; Heb 12:14-28; 13:5-6; Ps
49:5-20.
Thought for today: Do you give to God sacrificially?
Let us pray: God
our Father, help us to offer to you and to our neighbours in relation to what
we have – Amen.
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[1] Barclay, W. (2006). The daily study bible: The gospel
of Mark. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, pp. 302-303.
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