When Less is More

~~~ Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ 1 Kings 17:10-16 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ 

~~~ Hebrews 9:24-28 ~~~ Mark 12:38-44 ~~~

You always have something to contribute.

It may be a small handful of flour...a little cake...two small coins.

Nothing is insignificant for God.

I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar

and a little oil in my jug. 

In Kings and in Mark today

the widow is used as an example.

These two women become teaching opportunities.

A woman had a very low place at that time,

but to be a widow was an even lower place.

The death a woman's husband left her abandoned and helpless.

She was often looked upon with pity.

She had no husband to offer protection.

She was most vulnerable.

Widows were often taken advantage of,

because they had no one to tend to their financial affairs.

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

God consistently turns less into more without fail.

In the time of Jesus, to be a widow was to be in jeopardy.

The widow literally had no source of income.

For these two women to give from their meager means

was worth drawing our attention.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The women today gave from their poverty.

They could have chosen to carefully guard what they had,

but instead they chose to give.

What about you?

How do view what you have in comparison

 to what you are willing to give?

For some this may be a difficult question.

When have you given enough?

Can you give too much?

Who should be the recipient of what you give?

These are all legitimate questions.

The examples today confirm that no matter

 what you have to give 

God will bless you with abundance.

In what we give to God there is always abundance.

God has no limits...he sees all gifts in context of your means.

The widows had little...

The scribes, who had much, expected to be given more.

They often found ways, legal or otherwise, to get more. 

They made a mockery

 of those who gave from their poverty.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you have God will make it more than sufficient.

God does turn less into more every day.

He blesses you with enough.

~~~Peace~~~