A bishop who lived around 300 A.D. was known for his extraordinary generosity. He chose to remain anonymous in all his good works. The story goes that there were three poor sisters whose father was unable to afford dowries for their marriage. This left them vulnerable to a life of hardship.

The bishop, moved with pity, decided to help them by silently tossing a bag of gold coins in their house in the middle of the night. He did this for each of the daughters without letting the family know. This act of silent generosity was done by someone we now know as Saint Nicholas. His life is the inspiration for our modern-day Santa Claus.

One of the lessons of today’s Gospel is that we can help people without the need to be recognized. Our motivation for helping others should be based on making their life better and not making ourselves famous. Doing good is about loving others, not ourselves. 

Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

reflect

Focus on the needs of others and not on your own personal gain. Find opportunities to love them in the same way that Jesus loves you. 

Lord, teach me to be generous with what I have.

Saint Norbert, bishop, pray for us.

Paul exhorts us to be brave when we face trials. In the early Church, trials were often a prelude to martyrdom. Today, trials bring discomfort and struggle. This is far different from the gravity of trials 2,000 years ago. Let us be mindful of this whenever we are tempted to complain about the difficulties we experience in our faith life.

¹ Beloved: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: ² proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. ³ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers ⁴ and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. ⁵ But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. ⁶ For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. ⁸ From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15, 16-17, 22

R: I will sing of your salvation.

⁸ My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your glory day by day. ⁹ Cast me not off in my old age; as my strength fails, forsake me not. (R)    ¹⁴ But I will always hope and praise you ever more and more. ¹⁵ My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation. (R) ¹⁶ I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord; O God, I will tell of your singular justice. ¹⁷ O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. (R) ²² So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre, for your faithfulness, O my God! I will sing your praises with the harp, O Holy One of Israel! (R)

Gospel | Mark 12:38-44

The story of the widow’s mite offers a powerful reflection on what we give for the work of God’s Kingdom. The most important gifts we can offer Him are obedience, complete surrender, and a deep commitment to serving Him. The widow, despite having little, gives all she has—signifying her readiness to dedicate everything to the service of the Gospel.

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 

³⁸ In the course of his teaching Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹ seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” ⁴¹ He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. ⁴³ Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 KING  6 - 8 today.

The contrasting images in today’s Gospel are like two tablets placed side by side, each containing an image that clashes with the other. On one side, we see the scribes in total splendor. Down in the veritable shadows, one espies a lowly, poor widow. The former felt entitled to everything fancy and nice. The latter was miserable by worldly standards. She could come up with only two small coins worth just a few centavos.

Are we seeing a reality that is also true here and now? Are we talking about what Otto Scharmer wrote about many years ago—the gross “disconnect” (his choice of word) across the social, ecological, and spiritual planes, and the glaring contrast between the “haves” and the “have nots,” just to cite one among many examples?

But the Gospel diptych is there for a reason: you and me. The contrast is stunning. It shocks people then and, hopefully, also now into a realization that all issues related to society, ecology, and spirituality are still a work in progress. There is work for you and me to do.

The contrast is disturbing. It disturbs us into accepting that we, too, could easily degenerate into becoming like the “honorable” scribes who sashayed around the catwalks of life, dressed in proverbial long robes. And not much else!The contrast sheds light into a spirituality that trumps and reverses the priorities that the world values. More is not necessarily better. Generosity is not counted in terms of tassels, coattails, and shawls. When it comes to greatness, authenticity and generosity count more than shallow gestures.

The scribes heightened the disconnect even more. The poor widow closed the gap between having and not having. In this instance, she proved one thing: less is more. And the difference lies in the inner world of motives, values, and virtues.

Fr Chito Dimaranan, SDB

reflection question

In your own little way, how can you narrow the gap between you and those who have less in life?

Open my heart, Lord, to the needs of the people around me and help me share whatever I have. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________________