A Generous Heart

    

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

10 November 2024

 

First Reading: 1 Kgs 17:10-16

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading: Heb 9:24-28

Gospel: Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more

than all the other contributors to the treasury.

For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,

but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,

her whole livelihood."

This Bible passage has so many interesting details. First, the widow is definitely struggling in her finances as she was labelled "poor". Secondly, she has given two copper coins which is practically just a small amount, but it is probably all that she had.

I am challenged to give all what I have and rely on God's provision. We are all reminded that it is not the amount we give as an offering that matters, but the spirit by which we give it. If we give joyfully, the Lord will surely bless us and return more than a hundredfold what we offered.

Prayer

Dear God, we praise You and we thank You for all the abundant blessings we have received. May You grant us a generous heart like this poor widow to give all we had with joy in our hearts. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

In Little and In Plenty

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 22 September 2019
First reading Amos 8:4-7

Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

Second reading                                                          1 Timothy 2:1-8

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all-this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;

Gospel                                                                         Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to the disciples,
“There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’

So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.”

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?”

“No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“He who is faithful in little, is also faithful in much...”

I believe each one of us is given the talents we deserve. Some are given with much and some have just enough. And most of the time it is the same with wealth. Some are wealthy and some are just able to live by. 

In my life, I have experienced the cycle of having so little and having plenty beyond my needs.  And in any of those situation, I am happy, because I believe that whatever situation I was in, I clung on, and stayed in faith in God.

In the business  that I lead, I am so blessed to have people who are faithful in their tithing. They had started with their meager income allocating 10% as their tithes. And when their income grew, their tithes grew as well. The more they give, the more they are blessed. They had been faithful in little and in plenty!

Prayer

Heavenly Father thank You for your awesome generosity. Thank You for all the blessings. Thank You too for the times we are in need. We thank You that in both situations, we feel your presence! May You continue to bless us with unwavering faith in all circumstances. This we pray in Jesus' Name, Amen!

Until it Hurts

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

11 November 2018

First reading                                                                  1 Kings 17:10-16
Elijah set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.”
She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil ail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Second reading                                                     Hebrews 9:24-28

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in God’s presence on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 12:38-44

Jesus taught his disciples and said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

How do we practice giving? How do we give tithes? In both the Old Testament and Gospel readings of today, two old and poor widows are made as models of how to give. The first widow did not hesitate to give and serve Elijah with whatever they have left. Even to the point that all she got is just enough for their last meal and “that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” I could not believe she still managed to give. The other poor widow whom Jesus and His disciples observed giving offering, also unbelievably gave almost everything she has, and not from her excesses!

Many years back, I am also like those who only give from what is in excess. And it was so small compared to the blessings I received. Thus, in spite of my huge income, I was still financially struggling and burdened which so much debts. Then, I learned from Bro. Bo Sanchez to give at least 10% of my income as tithes. Blessings started to come. In about 3 ½ years, we were able to get out of our bad debts! Just like the widow in the First Reading, “and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elijah.”

Prayer

Lord, heavenly Father, teach us each moment how to give without counting the cost. Teach us to be generous with our time, talents, and treasure to people we encounter. Teach us to give and serve until it hurts. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen!

Trying to outgive God? You'll never win!

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 8, 2015

First reading
1 Kings 17:10-16

Elijah the Prophet went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:

“Jar of meal shall not be spent,

jug of oil shall not be emptied,

before the day when the Lord sends

rain on the face of the earth.”’

The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

Psalm                                                                                                            Psalm 145:7-10

Second reading                                                                                        Hebrews 9:24-28  It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.

Gospel	Mark 12:38-44

In his teaching Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.’

  He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’

Reflection

By Edgardo Tulabut

Income minus tithes, minus savings, equals expenses. This is a popular and common equation I preach as a financial adviser.

But if you talked to me about this a decade ago, I’d probably ask, “Income minus tha… what? Tights?” I could  still recall when a friend was talking about how she started tithing, I was totally clueless. Maybe I had the same blank expression as my seminar attendees whenever I mention the Income-minus-tithes formula in my financial talks. When I see those clueless stares, I immediately knew that my listeners are Catholic and I’d explain to them what tithing is.

Yes, except for those with charismatic communities, most of us Catholics are not familiar with tithing. Well, it is really something not to be ashamed of because what we are taught is giving according to our hearts’ desire. The problem is sometimes we put God in the least of our desires as shown in our priorities in allocating our finances. Most of the time we do not have any problem buying an expensive piece of jewelry, a new gadget, or spend a huge amount to impress a date. The list could go on, but when it comes to giving to God, we only give our excess, something which we do not even value ourselves.

Before I became an active member of the Light of Jesus community, I usually give whatever is the smallest amount in my pocket. If I give a twenty peso bill, I already have a heavy heart and most of the time I pretend not to see the collector pass by. Fifty pesos? No way.

I will not tell you how much I give now. It may be bigger, or it may have stayed at twenty pesos. But I now follow a certain percentage. The 10% mentioned in the old testament is a good guideline. But Jesus have already revised that. It’s up for you to set your own for as long as you are giving a good representative of the blessings you receive and you are giving according to your heart’s desire “for the Lord loves a cheerful giver.” (2Cor 9:7).

Once I started giving a certain amount regularly, it really felt fulfilling. With or without anything in return, it just feels good to know that I can regularly contribute to God’s works on earth through tithing.

One attendee in a seminar I was a part of once asked the speaker where to base her tithes – net or gross income. The speaker answered “where do you want God to base your blessings – net or gross?” Of course, that’s not how God operates. But one thing’s for sure if we try to out give God, we will never win.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the opportunity to give to Your kingdom on earth. May my small contribution help in bringing more people to You. Amen!