SATURDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
- Dn. Bedan I. Njue, Salesian of Don Bosco.
- Jun 5, 2021
- 2 min read
5th June 2021
A LITTLE WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
First Reading: Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20
Psalm: Tobit 13:1b and 2, 3-4-8
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
Dear Christians, I find a meaningful phrase in the first reading that summarizes the Gospel narrative “A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing.” this phrase indeed correlate to the story of a woman in the Gospel.
The readings are reminding us that what matters in the eyes of God is quality and not quantity. The insignificant widow who seemed to give next to nothing was, in reality, a living witness of divine generosity. The widow reminds us that there are saints in our midst that we don’t often notice. A wonderful generosity of spirit can reveal itself in gestures that appear very ordinary and even insignificant to those observing. There can be times in our lives when we appear to have very little, in all kinds of ways, but if we give generously out of the little we have, we are rich in the eyes of the Lord. Sometimes these small things can be smile, tapping of shoulders, listening to others or simply accepting the annoyances of others with joy. What matters is not the external amount of our actions but the love we put into them that always leads us to act according to God’s wishes.
Secondly, we learn that God owns all, even our very selves. He expects us to give all we have, not for human recognition, but because it is the right thing to do. Jesus tells us that our generosity must be without any strings attached. It is because many of us seem to be looking for repayment and recognition for what we do and so strings are attached to our love for God and others. We cannot pride ourselves that we can give back to God all that He has given us, but we can at least do our best to show how grateful we are for all he has done and all that he is to us. As we do this, we must avoid hypocrisy. It only leads to our condemnation. Give your very best to God and the best will come back to you. Seek not the praises of men. The lord, who sees in secret, will reward you abundantly.
Remember, “A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing.”
Amen.
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