“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Daily Reflections
Saturday, 10th June 2017.
Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Saturday Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tob12:1, 5-15, 20;
Tob 13:2, 6-8;
Mk 12: 38-44.
The Gospel pictures Jesus and His disciples, sitting opposite the Temple treasury and watching people putting money into the treasury. People who wanted to appear generous put in more coins energetically. But then came along a poor widow, who noiselessly puts in two small coins into the treasury. Jesus quickly draws the attention of His disciples to this. All she put into the basket was two small coins worth only a little. Yet Jesus declares that she put in more than all the rest. Jesus is highlighting a contrast between spiritual wealth and material wealth. Spiritual wealth and spiritual generosity, is of far greater importance than material wealth, and material generosity. The poor widow was materially poor but spiritually rich. Those with the large sums of money were materially rich, but spiritually poorer than the widow.
In the materialistic society we live in, it’s hard to believe this. It’s very hard to make the conscious choice to embrace spiritual wealth as a far greater blessing. In order to embrace spiritual wealth one must give up everything. We must all become this poor widow and contribute all we have, our “whole livelihood.” She wanted to give and she wanted to make a difference. So she gave all she had.
Each person must discern how this looks practically in their lives. We must have an interior disposition of complete generosity and detachment. From there, the Lord will show us how to use the material things within our possession for our greatest good, as well as the good of others. Give all you have and all you are to our Lord and allow Him to direct the generosity of your heart in accord with His perfect will.
Prayer: Lord, please give me the generous and selfless heart of this poor widow. Help me to look for ways that I am called to give completely of myself to You, holding nothing back, seeking above all the spiritual riches of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.