Giving back to God

FROM A READING FOR NOV. 11, 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
‘Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him....” — Heb 9:27-28

Sometimes, we forget that we do not supply God’s needs; rather, He supplies ours.

That does not mean our gifts are meaningless. The truth is that they have a great deal of meaning.

In Sunday’s Gospel (Mk 12:38-44), we hear about two different classes of people: the scribes and a poor widow. Jesus draws our attention to the scribes first, and warns us against them. He points out how they seek honor and pride of place and, at the same time, “devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers.”

Then Jesus turns our attention to a poor widow. She is alone and destitute, but she goes to the temple treasury and puts in her very meager offering.

Dual lesson

Our Lord gives a twofold lesson from this:

•  First, it is wrong for the powerful to exploit the poor.

Jesus especially points out the hypocrisy of such people. They act as though they are “spiritual” people, but in reality they know nothing of the spiritual life, neither its demands nor its real joys. They are entirely focused on the temporal advantages attached to their education and authority. Not only that, they take advantage of those less well-off and perpetuate injustice in the society.

•  Second, in the Lord’s eyes, it is not how much we give that matters, but the heart with which we give it.

We must give what we have inwardly decided to give, as St. Paul says, and we should give what we are able. But God sees the heart, and the devotion with which we make our offerings.

Whether those offerings are material, like money or food, or spiritual, like prayer and fasting, God knows where our heart is. If our intention is pure: namely, if we act for God and out of love for Him, then the act will be very pleasing to Him, no matter how big or small it may be.

In addition

Sunday’s first reading (1 Kgs 17:10-16) addresses this point and adds an additional element. Elijah is sent by God into Gentile territory, to Zarephath. At the entrance to the city, he meets a widow and asks her for water and some bread. She replies that she and her son are at the point of starvation and she cannot bring him anything.

Elijah assures her, giving her a word from God, that she and her son will be able to eat if she helps him. He tells her not to be afraid.

Here, the added element of trust and faith in God is seen: She must believe in God in order to survive. Her life and the life of her son depend on faith.

This is true for all of us, but usually our circumstances are not bad enough for us to see it so starkly. Our life radically depends on God — and He wants to provide us all that we need.

God wants us to turn to Him in every circumstance, good or bad, and let Him provide for us and love and cherish us. He will teach us and guide us as we participate in His providence. He helps us grow into the best possible sons and daughters we can be.

This relationship is supported and filled with grace by the sacrifice of Jesus and His continual intercession for us, as spoken of in Sunday’s second reading (Heb 9:24-28).

Jesus does not need to suffer again; He died one time for all people, and His sacrifice takes away sin. His love allows us to give back to Him, with great love, sacrifices small and great.