Today, Fr. Lejeune chose reading the longer version of the Gospel, both Jesus' criticism of the scribes and the poor widow's offering (Mark 12:38-44). Reading them together gave us a new perspective.
In the Moral Theology course, we learn something about "Fundamental Option". Deep in our innermost self, we freely make one choice. We choose either God or ourselves.
When we choose ourselves, whatever we do, we do it for ourselves. We take care of our health for ourselves. We help others for ourselves. We go to Church for our own salvation.
When we choose God, whatever we do, we do it for God. We take care of our health for God. We help others for the love of God. We go to Church to praise and worship our God.
At the end of the day, or rather, at the end of our life, we will go before God to account for all the choices we have made, all the actions we have taken and all the things we have done.
When we choose ourselves, whatever we do, we do it for ourselves. We take care of our health for ourselves. We help others for ourselves. We go to Church for our own salvation.
When we choose God, whatever we do, we do it for God. We take care of our health for God. We help others for the love of God. We go to Church to praise and worship our God.
At the end of the day, or rather, at the end of our life, we will go before God to account for all the choices we have made, all the actions we have taken and all the things we have done.
The scribes whom Jesus criticized were simply doing their jobs. They gave legal advie, handled inheritance transactions, worked for their clients and even said prayers for the widows. They looked respectable on the outside. However, Jesus exposed their hypocricy. The scribes chose themselves in their fundamental option. They did not choose God. Whatever they did, they did it for themselves.
The gospel tells us that Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, watching people putting money in. The sitting posture was a very strange scene, wasn't it? But we know that the sitting posture was a posture of teaching. Jesus taught anywhere he chose. The treasury became a classroom / laboratory. Jesus was prepared to teach a fundamental truth, our fundamental option.
We are all familiar with the story. Jesus made a remark on the widow who offered two copper coins.
And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living." (Mark 12:43-44).
Jesus was not teaching arithmetics. He was not teaching percentage. He praised the widow, not because she had offered 100%. Rather, she had offered her whole living, her best while others had offered what they could spare. When we offer what we could spare, we love God with reservation. God is only marginal and dispensable for us. When we give our best back to God, we are loving God with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind and our whole strength, without reservation (Mark 12:30). This was what the poor widow had demonstrated. She loved God with her whole life. She had chosen God for her fundamental option.
The gospels do not leave us any record of the remaining days of this particular widow. Probably, she joined the Christian community after the Pentecost. Her earthly needs had been taken care of just like the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17.
The gospel tells us that Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, watching people putting money in. The sitting posture was a very strange scene, wasn't it? But we know that the sitting posture was a posture of teaching. Jesus taught anywhere he chose. The treasury became a classroom / laboratory. Jesus was prepared to teach a fundamental truth, our fundamental option.
We are all familiar with the story. Jesus made a remark on the widow who offered two copper coins.
And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living." (Mark 12:43-44).
Jesus was not teaching arithmetics. He was not teaching percentage. He praised the widow, not because she had offered 100%. Rather, she had offered her whole living, her best while others had offered what they could spare. When we offer what we could spare, we love God with reservation. God is only marginal and dispensable for us. When we give our best back to God, we are loving God with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind and our whole strength, without reservation (Mark 12:30). This was what the poor widow had demonstrated. She loved God with her whole life. She had chosen God for her fundamental option.
The gospels do not leave us any record of the remaining days of this particular widow. Probably, she joined the Christian community after the Pentecost. Her earthly needs had been taken care of just like the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17.
In Hong Kong, this year is the Year of Priestly Vocation. Fr. Lejeune appealed to the young people in the congregation to pray for priestly vocation as well as for their own vocation. Let us be generous. God will be more generous.
Dear Lord, enkindle our love for You so that we may respond more generously to You. Amen.
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