Ad Jesum per Mariam

Jesus Tells Us What God Truly Desires

Jesus Tells Us What God Truly Desires In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of people placing their offerings into the treasury. Jesus takes His disciples, sits down, and observes the people making their contributions. Many offer substantial amounts. However, one widow steps forward and places two small coins—everything she possesses. We have all heard this story before, but what deeper message is God revealing to us? St. Jerome’s Encounter With Jesus At the beginning of the Homily, we learn about St. Jerome, a priest from the 4th century. At the request of the pope, St. Jerome dedicated many years—even decades—to translating the Bible into Latin. The Homily then shares a story of an encounter between St. Jerome and Jesus. In this interaction, Jesus asks St. Jerome for a gift. The saint offers the newly completed translation of the Bible, but Jesus replies that it is not what He desires. Jerome offers other valuable items, but each time, Jesus indicates they are not what He wants. To understand what Jesus truly desires, listen further to the Homily. The Gospel passage and St. Jerome’s story both convey the same message: trust. Jesus calls us to give with complete trust in God. Perhaps our personal ambitions remain unfulfilled. We may feel disappointed. Our spiritual life might feel dry, leaving us unable to sense God’s presence despite our prayers. Or maybe we face the heartache of seeing our children grow in ways that differ from our expectations. Even in these moments, Jesus invites us to trust—to place our faith entirely in God. Explore more of this reflection by listening to this Meditation Media. Listen to: Jesus Tells Us What God Truly Desires ----------------------------------------- Image: The Widow’s Mite : French Painter: James Tissot: 1886 ----------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Mark: 12: 38-44 First Reading: 1 KGS 17: 10-16 Second Reading: HEB 9: 24-28

Duration:: 15m
Broadcast on:: 15 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

The Lord be with you, and with your spirit. Everything from the horrid gospel according to man. Glory to you, O Lord. In the course of his teaching, Jesus said to the crowd, "Be aware of the scribes who like to go around in long robes, and accept greetings in the market places, 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 crowds put money into the treasury. Men reach people, put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth of a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "A man, 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 suppressed wealth. But she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had. Her whole livelihood. They gospel of the Lord." It's good to have a new experience of the weather as it is, because in Malawi, this is the hardest one would imagine. So a couple of days ago, I was talking to my system, because back home is hot right now. I said this skating court here, and during masses, people are bringing blankets. They said, "Wow, are they also bringing beds and mattresses?" I said, "Maybe they will as it gets colder and colder." Where we would think that a full stop was the only thing to be put God puts a comma. Where would think a full stop was the only thing that would put God puts a comma and continues writing, trust in God. There's a story taught of St. Jeremy. St. Jeremy was an intelligent, holy, catholic priest. And he has made the secretary to the pope. And the pope asked him to do a noble task of translating the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek into Latin. Many say he spent 23 years in Jerusalem, doing this, others say he spent 40 years in doing this. So he finished this noble task a few days before Christmas. And then he thought it was to spend the remaining days in Bethlehem, in a grotto. And while there, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and asked him, "Jeremy, what are you going to give me as a gift for Christmas?" So Jeremy was so happy. He said, "Lord, you know, I've spent many years translating the Bible into Latin. And I want you that you get this as a gift for me. And then our Lord said, "No, that's not what I want." And then he said, "But why then did you allow me to come to Jerusalem and spend all these years to translate the Bible into Latin? If that's what you did not want, our Lord did not respond." Then he said, "Okay, fine, now I know what I'm going to give you. I am going to fast and I am going to give you all the possessions that I have." And then our Lord Jesus Christ said, "No, that's not what I want." And then, Saint Jeremy submitted, said, "Okay, fine. That's not what you want. Lord, what do you want me to give you?" And then Jesus said, "With total trust, with total trust, I want you to give me your sins." Because the intelligence that you have, the possessions that you have, all those come from me. The only thing that you have that does not come from me are your sins. That's the only thing. The rest of the achievements, everything that you have, all those emanate from me. But you have to do this with total trust. And then the line word here is "total trust." Matter brothers and sisters, our readings today are calling us to giving with total trust in God. We are in the first reading, the story of Elijah. A little bit of a background, Elijah had challenged King Ahab. Ahab who admired Jezebel. And these two had intoxicated the people by turning them away from God to worshipping idols. And then Elijah comes in and pronounces that there will be drought. A spiritual lesson here. God, who is the source of life? When we turn away from Him, we also turn away from life itself. There is drought. When we move away from God, we move away from life itself, the source of life, and our lives become full of drought. And now there is drought. Elijah is as well affected. And then the Lord asks Him, move out of your country and go to this new place. And you are going to find a widow. And this widow will feed you. This widow is going to provide for you. In ancient Israel, when we talk of a widow, we talk of someone who has lost a husband. But at the same time, she is as well poor. She needs to be helped. But Elijah is asked to trust in God. He is asked to depend on what God is spreading Him. And He calls. And while there, He finds this widow who has honor remained with food just to eat and then expect to die. And Elijah asks this woman to trust in God. Just as he has trusted in God, who directed him to this woman, Elijah asks this woman that whatever is there will remain there, it won't run out. Trust in God. And it is because of this total trust in God that we hear that the aid or the days that they had. Many other times, we go through difficulties. Maybe our ambitions have not been fulfilled. We are disappointed. Maybe our spiritual life goes dry. We don't feel the presence of God, although we come to play. Maybe we are disappointed with our children. They are not growing up as we expect them. Maybe we are disappointed wherever we are working. Maybe we are disappointed with our health issues. And in all these moments, we land dry. We land dry. And we look at as if God has moved away from us. But today, we are asked still to trust, to trust God. He is there and is going to help us. If our ambitions and expectations don't come as we we thought we are still asked to trust. In the gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ begins by admonishing his disciples to say, do not follow what the finances and the scribes do. They take and they want to be praised. And then as we were talking, he observes how people wear offering. And Jesus' observation is not human observation. Jesus goes beyond what our eyes can see. And you see his people giving, men of them giving a lot. And there comes this woman who only gives pro-coins. And Jesus says, he has given more than anyone else. Because he has given what would be her life record. And this giving can only be done with total trust in God. That God is going to provide. God who provides for me, God who gives me whatever I have, we is going to give me whatever I will need. Trust in God. And we will see that what Jesus sees is not the quantity of what has been given, but rather the heart and the trust that accompanies what has been given. And at the same time, Jesus sees in a big picture. What has not been given? That's why he says, men of them have just taken from a lot. But this woman has given everything. Jesus sees what we have not given as well. And this is what we have given. But this is as well what we have not given. What is it? You and me. What is it that we have not given to God? What is it that Jesus wants you and me to give him? With total trust, everything that we have belongs to God. All the possessions, the successes, all of them come from God. It is only our sins that come from us. May God help us to give generosity at the same time to submit ourselves by doing what he wants, not what we want. Amen.