Genuine Generosity; Sharing Of One's Blessings

 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:38-44.
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,
seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
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.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” – Source: http://dailygospel.org/M/AM/

From today’s gospel, there is that challenge from each one of us to share our blessings to others. And doing this one is quite challenging for this requires one’s ability and capacity to get rid of all personal vested interests and this is not easy. Oftentimes, when we share something with others (time, resources, gifts etc.), we can’t deny that in the back of our minds, there is that intention to get and receive something as a benefit.

Just like the woman in the gospel of today, we are called to be sharers of good things to others. When we look upon our life, we should have no reason to complain and instead, we indeed need to be grateful for our gifts and if the situation allows it, share our blessings to others. In the event of sharing, never let your left hand knows what the right hand is doing. Better keep it to yourself when you are able to extend assistance to somebody and never like those hypocrites who help others but with their own interests in tow.

Remember well that sharing is great when accompanied by genuine desire to extend to others some good things in life.

Blessed Are They Who Hear The Word of God and Keep It

 

Gospel, Luke 11:27-28
27 It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!’

28 But he replied, ‘More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’

Indeed, this is the challenge being shared to us today. The easy part of this is its reading and seeing yet the most challenging part is its keeping as a daily part of our life.

Are we aware of our daily dynamics? Are we allowing ourselves to be bringers of faith to others thus concretely accepting the challenge of keeping the word of God in our life? Each day, we are placed in varying situations and some of them are sort of “trials” to our faith. How do we react when we see unfortunate members of our society such as homeless, orphans, scavengers, and the like.

Perhaps, it is beneficial for us to think how could we concretise this challenge of today’s Gospel. We are always invited to hear these words from God and internalise them through deeds and words. And to be more effective on it, we should become positive influencers to all people around us.

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The Joy of Being At Home with Oneself

 

In life, many chapters come and go and some of them render us to dwell into complicated situations. And when this happens, some are caught into such a mess and a deeply mixed up realities and as a result, if not equip well, there are people who are lost into their dealings with self-realisation and with others.

And it hurts the most when other people surrounding the concerned individual are directly affected by the situation. There are those who tend to become so irritable when faced in this situations. Some will result to losing self- esteem thus, they will become not energetic anymore to face everyday’s surprises.

Therefore, to remedy the situation, it is very essential that the person concerned will have the will to go out of that condition. There comes in the importance of being at home with one self meaning one should know and befriend all the qualities within himself and these involve both the good and bad.

All the people around him play an essential role to this self discovery and the way to healing but the very first person who should commit to such process would be the involved individual himself. Finally the most important element of all in undergoing such process to self – transformation is prayer for we believe that things happen in accordance to God’s will and love.

I Am The Bread That Comes From Heaven

 

“I am the bread that comes from Heaven”

When I heard these words from the homily last Sunday, what immediately came into my mind was my very own life. That this treasured life is a borrowed one from Him above- the most important bread of all. However, how do I treat this body…this life? Do I always feed it with the eternal bread- the words of Jesus in my life?

Whatever activities we are in everyday, we need to remember always that the most essential relationship that we have to nurture each day is the relationship that we have with Jesus. We can do that when we think of other people’s welfare.

 From the very first moment that we wake up until the time that we rest during the night, we receive so many blessings from Jesus.

May we always see His presence in our neighbours. And as we encounter different people wherever we go, let us also allow ourselves to become bread for others so that they could also be filled with grace.

My Eyes Are Fixed On You Oh Lord

Psalm 123:

“To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven —
As the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.”

Reflection:

Just like the people on this psalm who humbly recognised the greatness of God’s love for them, it is but fitting for us to recognise the fact that this life is merely a borrowed one from God above.

In His eyes, we don’t really have own anything. All our giftedness, talents, resources and others, we owe them all to God. Yes, there might be others who can claim richness on earth however, all these worldly possessions are but passing and temporary.

What then is essential for us is to nurture our souls so that they will be welcomed in God’s kingdom when we rest eternally. All our preparations must be geared towards achieving a life that is eternal and in His centre.

Thus, let us own our wickedness and humbly ask for His forgiveness for our trespasses meanwhile, let us also rejoice for all the good deeds that we have shared with ourselves and with others. Happy Sunday everyone!