1 KGS 17:10-16, PS 146:7, 8-9, 9-10, HEB 9:24-28, Gospel MK 12:38-44
Christ is watching...
In the Gospel today we hear about the Widow’s mite.
Christ is observing those who are contributing to the
temple treasury. It is interesting that Christ sits down
and watches for awhile how people contribute to the needs
of the temple. He sees the vast sums contributed by the
rich and that does not move his heart, but when he notices
a poor widow contributing a small amount to the treasury
His heart is moved so much that he calls over the disciples
and points her out to them.
Christ is observing those who are contributing to the
temple treasury. It is interesting that Christ sits down
and watches for awhile how people contribute to the needs
of the temple. He sees the vast sums contributed by the
rich and that does not move his heart, but when he notices
a poor widow contributing a small amount to the treasury
His heart is moved so much that he calls over the disciples
and points her out to them.
Why does Jesus do this?
Jesus notices that the rich are not suffering because of their donations.
They are giving from their excess. It is almost like they are sitting
around saying I need to find something to do with this pile of cash -
Oh, I know what, I will give it to the temple, then I will look good!
They are giving from their excess. It is almost like they are sitting
around saying I need to find something to do with this pile of cash -
Oh, I know what, I will give it to the temple, then I will look good!
Yet the widow is at the temple for a very different reason. She has
recognized that God is essential to her life, and she is compelled to
express her love and thanksgiving to God. This is why she goes to
the temple and offers her small contribution. She is giving to
God out of love, pure and simple.
recognized that God is essential to her life, and she is compelled to
express her love and thanksgiving to God. This is why she goes to
the temple and offers her small contribution. She is giving to
God out of love, pure and simple.
It must be widow Sunday!
God is asking us for small acts of love given completely
In the first reading today we hear about how the prophet Elijah visits
Zarephath where he meets a widow who is collecting sticks to cook a
last meal for her son. This woman is in a difficult place, in that she
realizes that she has reached the end of her means of sustenance and is
preparing for her last meal before death. From her perspective she is
worn out, done worrying, and has finally surrendered to her fate.
Elijah comes to her and asks her for a very little gift - can you please
bring me a small amount of water and a small hearth cake.
Zarephath where he meets a widow who is collecting sticks to cook a
last meal for her son. This woman is in a difficult place, in that she
realizes that she has reached the end of her means of sustenance and is
preparing for her last meal before death. From her perspective she is
worn out, done worrying, and has finally surrendered to her fate.
Elijah comes to her and asks her for a very little gift - can you please
bring me a small amount of water and a small hearth cake.
The widow explains what she is doing, and she chooses to share what little
she has with Elijah. Have we learned to be generous as the widow is
generous?
she has with Elijah. Have we learned to be generous as the widow is
generous?
How big is my gift to God?
If you think about it - what Elijah asks from the Widow is very small -
Cupcake and a glass of water. So trivial. Yet from the Widow’s
perspective this is everything. She only has a handful of flour and some oil,
and yet she chooses to sacrifice to share with Elijah. She is choosing to
give him a huge gift, it is not $1,000,000!
Cupcake and a glass of water. So trivial. Yet from the Widow’s
perspective this is everything. She only has a handful of flour and some oil,
and yet she chooses to sacrifice to share with Elijah. She is choosing to
give him a huge gift, it is not $1,000,000!
Through her act of selfless love, she is preserved from death. God sees her
selfless love, her willingness to share with others in a time of need, and He
blesses her with all she needs to be sustained in life.
selfless love, her willingness to share with others in a time of need, and He
blesses her with all she needs to be sustained in life.
Sacrifice is an expression of both Love and Freedom.
We can’t sacrifice if we aren’t free, and we won’t sacrifice if we do not
Love. I think this is at the heart of the Gospel today. As St. Therese
teaches - it is not the big, grandiose sacrifices that we see the rich making
in their contributions to the temple treasury, it is the little sacrifices that
show that we really do understand the Gospel to the point where we live it
out that show God our love. This is the heart of selflessness.
We can’t sacrifice if we aren’t free, and we won’t sacrifice if we do not
Love. I think this is at the heart of the Gospel today. As St. Therese
teaches - it is not the big, grandiose sacrifices that we see the rich making
in their contributions to the temple treasury, it is the little sacrifices that
show that we really do understand the Gospel to the point where we live it
out that show God our love. This is the heart of selflessness.
There is both a lesson and a challenge for us in this. The lesson is that
when we are exhausted and God asks us for a small sacrifice - to say “Yes”.
when we are exhausted and God asks us for a small sacrifice - to say “Yes”.
The challenge of this scriptures is to answer the question:
- What is my gift?
- What is my cup of water and hearth cake?
- Where in my life am I being called to offer a cup of water and a hearth
Live this week looking for God’s invitation to sacrifice
- When we need to help our children out with their homework
- When we cook dinner for our families
- When we clean the bathrooms in the house?
- When we take time away from the busy-ness at work to listen to a
Christ’s model of Sacrifice - All In!
In the Letter to the Hebrews St. Paul teaches us the value of sacrifice.
Christ’s sacrifice was not fake, because Jesus says of himself - I am the
Way, the Truth and the Life! If Christ is the Truth then he cannot give a
false witness to sacrifice and suffering. When Christ chose to sacrifice,
He gave everything of what he is and so he does not repeat his sacrifice
because he could not - He was all in!
Christ’s sacrifice was not fake, because Jesus says of himself - I am the
Way, the Truth and the Life! If Christ is the Truth then he cannot give a
false witness to sacrifice and suffering. When Christ chose to sacrifice,
He gave everything of what he is and so he does not repeat his sacrifice
because he could not - He was all in!
Christ brings salvation to those who await Him
Because Christ gave himself out of Love to us for our sins he has already
sacrificed and judged us - He judged us to be worthy recipients of His Love.
For this reason I do not fear Christ’s second coming, because he is waiting
to bring salvation to those who AWAIT HIM. Christ give us the gift of
freedom from Sin, and follows it up with the gift of salvation.
sacrificed and judged us - He judged us to be worthy recipients of His Love.
For this reason I do not fear Christ’s second coming, because he is waiting
to bring salvation to those who AWAIT HIM. Christ give us the gift of
freedom from Sin, and follows it up with the gift of salvation.
How Convenient...
You might be thinking to yourself - how convenient for the Deacon to
preach about the widow in the Gospel today but to ignore the first half about
the Scribe - who likes to dress in long robes, and be greeted in the
marketplace “Deacon”, and yet devours the houses of widows and
recites long prayers… You would be wrong - I saved the best for
the last part of our reflection today.
preach about the widow in the Gospel today but to ignore the first half about
the Scribe - who likes to dress in long robes, and be greeted in the
marketplace “Deacon”, and yet devours the houses of widows and
recites long prayers… You would be wrong - I saved the best for
the last part of our reflection today.
Contrast between the Widow and the Scribe
The heart of today’s Gospel is the contrast between the Scribe who enjoys
the pretense of holiness and the poor widow who actually lives out holiness.
Jesus is commenting on the reality that there will always be a “political”
struggle in the faith. There are those who seek to live out their lives in God
in service to other, and there are those who seek to use their service to satisfy
their own ego’s. This is the contrast between the widow - who gives from her
need, and the Scribe who enjoys the favor of his office.
the pretense of holiness and the poor widow who actually lives out holiness.
Jesus is commenting on the reality that there will always be a “political”
struggle in the faith. There are those who seek to live out their lives in God
in service to other, and there are those who seek to use their service to satisfy
their own ego’s. This is the contrast between the widow - who gives from her
need, and the Scribe who enjoys the favor of his office.
Praying for those involved in abuse
The sad news of this year about sexual abuse by clergy and the covering up
of abuse by Bishops leapt straight to the forefront of my reflections on the
Gospel as I reflected on the readings for today. A few weeks ago I had the
opportunity to be on retreat with other Deacons from the Archdiocese.
During our retreat the retreat master asked us to keep vigil on Friday night
to pray for the victims of the abuse and for the conversion of the clergy.
of abuse by Bishops leapt straight to the forefront of my reflections on the
Gospel as I reflected on the readings for today. A few weeks ago I had the
opportunity to be on retreat with other Deacons from the Archdiocese.
During our retreat the retreat master asked us to keep vigil on Friday night
to pray for the victims of the abuse and for the conversion of the clergy.
My initial response was one of anger - why should I pray for those Bishops
who have not been faithful to their vows? I finally resolved that I need to first
address the beam in my own eye before beginning to help my brother with the
spec of sin in his eye. After seeing this I came to understand that we are being
called to imitate the love of Christ and to pray for my brother Clerics who are
trapped in sin, and deceived by the enemy.
who have not been faithful to their vows? I finally resolved that I need to first
address the beam in my own eye before beginning to help my brother with the
spec of sin in his eye. After seeing this I came to understand that we are being
called to imitate the love of Christ and to pray for my brother Clerics who are
trapped in sin, and deceived by the enemy.
One way you can do this is by joining the Archbishop for a Mass of Reparation
on the 7th of December at 5:30 PM at the Cathedral downtown.
on the 7th of December at 5:30 PM at the Cathedral downtown.
Am I the Scribe?
When I read this Gospel I am confronted with Christ’s observations on the
actions of the Scribe. They lead me to ask myself this question - “Am I living
out my role in service to the Church, or have I placed the Church in service of
me?” I think that this is an excellent question and so I plan on using this as my
daily examination of conscience for this next week.
actions of the Scribe. They lead me to ask myself this question - “Am I living
out my role in service to the Church, or have I placed the Church in service of
me?” I think that this is an excellent question and so I plan on using this as my
daily examination of conscience for this next week.
Selfish or Selfless?
The basic orientation of the two people in the Gospel is one of Selfishness
(for the Scribe) and Self-less (for the Widow). Christ tells us that when we are
selfish we will be severely condemned, but that when we are selfless we will be
rewarded greatly.
(for the Scribe) and Self-less (for the Widow). Christ tells us that when we are
selfish we will be severely condemned, but that when we are selfless we will be
rewarded greatly.
Turn back to my vocation as Deacon
I am grateful for my ministry of “Deacon” - which is a Greek word for “Slave”
or “Servant”. I think that this ministry helps me to focus my heart on serving
the Church and her needs. Who is that Church - it is this community, but it is
also those who I work with and it is my family at home.
or “Servant”. I think that this ministry helps me to focus my heart on serving
the Church and her needs. Who is that Church - it is this community, but it is
also those who I work with and it is my family at home.
Turn our service into prayer
The Gospel today invites us to sacrifice for Christ with all of our heart. One
way we can do this is by becoming more prayerful in the service that we give
others this week.
way we can do this is by becoming more prayerful in the service that we give
others this week.
- It is a service to cook dinner,
- It is a service to fold the laundry,
- It is a service to pick up the house
- It is a service when I am interrupted in a meeting at work to try to listen
Christ invites us into a life of serving one another by placing ourselves last so
that I can be sure that I have first listened to others.
that I can be sure that I have first listened to others.
How does this apply to me?
You might be sitting in the pews today thinking - “Boy am I glad that I am not
wearing robes today and reciting long prayers!” That means that Jesus is not
speaking to me! Yes - that is one way to reflect on this reading.
wearing robes today and reciting long prayers!” That means that Jesus is not
speaking to me! Yes - that is one way to reflect on this reading.
The other is to reflect - what roles of leadership has Christ called me to?
- Am I a teacher in school?
- Am I a leader / foreman / supervisor at work?
- Am I a parent?
Closing Reflection
Are we using the authority given to us to serve others, or am are we using
that authority to make others serve us?
