“… Jesus … saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, ‘… this poor widow put in more than all the rest … she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.'”
Mass Readings – MassTimes.org – TheCatholicDirectory.com – VIDEO: Daily Mass – Toronto – VIDEO: Daily Mass – Boston/Catholic TV
FIRST READING: Revelation 14:1-3, 4B-5
Saint John continues to have his vision of the Apocalypse. There are 144,000 who are the “first fruits” redeemed from humanity by Christ. They are unblemished, they do not speak falsehood, and they follow Christ wherever He goes.
I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had His Name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. … who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. … ransomed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
Holy Mother Church continues to focus on the end times in Mass Readings as we approach Advent. Even though we think of the approaching season of Advent as an anticipation of the Nativity of Christ, the focus on the end times reminds us of the over-arching need to anticipate Christ’s Second Coming, and to reorder our lives to prepare for eternity.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your Face.
Jesus observes the poor widow putting in two small coins, and explains how she put in more than all the rest, because she was giving out of her poverty, not like the wealthy who simply gave part of their excess wealth.
“… Jesus … saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, ‘… this poor widow put in more than all the rest; … those others … made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.'”
We can, perhaps, draw from this real-life illustration how God appreciates what each of us does, regardless of our circumstances in life. Indeed, He appreciates even more those who make the effort to give of themselves, when they are of the humblest of means and have the least from which to give.
