November 8, 2015

In Today’s Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus was sitting near the treasury observing people making their offerings.  The treasury was the safe located within the temple in Jerusalem where people deposited their donations.  Jesus observed the following:  Wealthy people came and offered large amounts. A widow approached the treasury and put in two small coins worth only a few cents.  

In his observation, Jesus came to the conclusion that the poor widow offered more than all the others; reason being, she contributed all she had and the others gave from their surplus.  Those who did well with material possessions had a secure future and their offerings did not affect it.  On the other hand, the widow offered all she had and there was nothing left for the future.  The majority of people may have seen the widow’s offering as very insignificant.  Not so for Jesus; He saw a woman with a generous heart and with a deep trust in God.  This passage, dear friends, is about having a generous heart and a deep trust in God.     

We can be generous with more than our material blessings.  God wants us to be generous with our time, giving one’s time to someone who is sick or going through a great loss.  God also wants us to be generous with our skills; the talents which God has given to us are meant to be for the service of the community.  There is no one so poor that they cannot help someone in need; and there is no one so rich that they are not in need of someone’s help.  It is wise to plan for the future, but with a generous heart and deep trust in God.  
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God bless you.