Monday, November 21, 2022

21 November 2022 - gifts and presentations


When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury

Jesus had previously stated that it was difficult for those who are wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God (see Luke 18:24). It was too easy for the rich to become attached to their riches, and to the power having riches entailed. It was too easy to rely on these riches and this power and to never know the poverty of spirit which Jesus told his disciples was truly blessed (see Matthew 5:3). It was not impossible for the rich to be saved and to come to learn a new relationship to their riches, holding them loosely, using them to build the Kingdom, just as we saw with Zacchaeus (see Luke 19:8). In today's Gospel, however, we see another way in which wealth can be a challenge, a way that should act as a warning for all of us moderns with our comparatively great wealth. 

those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth

What do we offer to God? Is it from what we have leftover, what we don't need to begin with and what really miss once it's gone? Do we always only give from our surplus and then call that love or devotion? Most of us have rigid defenses and strong fortifications built against even the idea of giving out our need. And it is not that case that Jesus is calling us to ruin ourselves by imprudence with those blessings with which he has entrusted us. But he is calling us to see the difference between the genuine love possible in even the smallest gift and the lack of love even truly generous donations might conceal.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (see First Corinthians 3:13).

What the widow offered was more than two small coins. It was her very self. The reason she was praised was not so much because after giving these two coins that she would have nothing left, although that may have been. It was also because of the fact that she thought these two coins worth giving even though they were insignificant in the eyes of the world when compared to the largess of the wealthy. 

she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.

This was an offering of her own lowliness and insignificance, all that she was, even though it was difficult for her, even though it was all but meaningless to others, because she somehow sensed that it would be pleasing to God. It was as if she said, "I have nothing to give, Lord, so take my heart". And in this way she was a type of Our Lady's own gift of self to God which we celebrate in today's Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

this poor widow put in more than all the rest;

We recognize that some are specially gifted in gifting (see Romans 12:8). Some are specially called to give away what they have to follow Jesus, whether that is a great amount of wealth or small. Yet should also recognize that we too are called to be poor in spirit. We are called to learn a new and spiritual relationship to our possessions that will allow us to give even if the gift itself seems small and the giving seems difficult. We are called to break from the idea that giving from our surplus is doing the true work of love. Our surplus gifts may be large, but they cost us nothing. We are called to begin to learn to give our very selves. This seems dangerous, and our egos push back. But we know that God delights to see such gifts, which, though often small in the eyes of the world, are great in his eyes.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (see Second Corinthians 9:8).

Let's become creative about how we use our two coins, more and more willing to put them into service for the Kingdom. Whether they represent love of God and neighbor, faith and prayer, they can have immense value disproportionate to the way the world would assess them. They can become the coins which the master rewards and increases so that our ability to give grows with our faithfulness.

These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the first fruits
of the human race for God and the Lamb.

When we are no longer ruled by riches but instead live by love we are led by the Lamb himself and free to follow him wherever he goes, just as Mary stayed as close to her son as he permitted during his earthly life. Then, at the hour of our death, she will guide us to the pastures of the blessed where her little Lamb now reigns. Just as Jesus drew Mary after him when he ascended into heaven, so too can our imitation of the fidelity she demonstrated open us to being drawn up to join the chorus of eternal praise, a new song before the throne.


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