GENEROSITY IN POVERTY IS THE SPIRIT OF GOD

The beauty of life is that we can practice generosity in poverty. Giving and sharing out of the little we have in life. We cannot wait until we have in abundance before we can share with others. There is one thing that is certain about sharing generously with others out of our limited sources. The God of providence never let us lack anything. He replenished all our giving with abundant blessings, favours and graces. 

The spirit of generosity implies the willingness to sacrifice for the well-being of others. It means giving up something dear to us for the glory of God and the betterment of others. As King David once said, I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). This is the spirit of generosity. Our act of giving should entail sacrificing all.  

Our act of giving should not only be material things. We should be generous in words, actions and even thoughts. This is what makes the Christian life a transformational spiritual lifestyle that influences our conduct. 

Above all, generosity in poverty is a demonstration of trust and confidence in God. It is only a trusting soul in the infinite blessings and providence of God that will wholeheartedly sacrifice all he has to live on. 

OUR THEME

The readings of this 32nd Sunday of the liturgical year invite us to be a humble and simple life. They also challenge us to be trusting in God especially, amid lack. 

The scriptural readings talk about the poor who not only trust in God but are also generous in serving others lovingly and sacrificially. 

The fact is that without trusting in God, we cannot give to others from the heart. Generosity comes with trusting in the superabundance of God. 

Our state of vulnerability or lack should not make us stingy or selfish in sharing our resources, time, talents or selves with others. 

The readings may present with two poor widows who were generous to a prophet and God, respectively. However, our Christian charity and generosity should not be only towards our pastors or churches. They should involve helping the poor, the needy and less privileged people as well. 

FIRST READING: 1 KINGS 17:10-16 

The widow of Zarephath, a Phoenician city that shares the last of her food with Prophet Elijah, a needy old man first and second a man of God. And there was a ripple effect of abundance and plenty that sustains her cruse of oil and barrel of meal which never ever run dry. 

The providence of God always puts on our part the divine assistance when we depend on Him and trust in his blessings. There are conditions for the intervention of God in our lives. 

The providential and timing intervention of God over hopeless situations is our mark of the proof of the existence of the God Israel. 

Most often, the divine assistance of God manifests in our lives when all seems hopeless and impossible. The widow of Zarephath was on the verge of running out of food. All hope was looming dark and, yet she seemed to trust help will come.

Divine providence brought Prophet Elijah on her way. It was no coincidence that the weary and hungry prophet came along her path. The providence of God comes to us through the divine plan of God. 

Even though the widow expresses her frustration and hopelessness over her current situation. Elijah was of a positive spirit and optimistic over the providence and intervention of God. He assures the widow to trust in God even when all seems to the contrary.

Faith and trust in God are not only in beautiful expressions of prayers or songs. They are in concrete action of putting beliefs, expression of prayers and songs in action. The widow of Zarephath trusted and believed in the Word of God spoken through Elijah. She went and did as the prophet had instructed her.

Miraculously, the jar of meal and the jug of oil never ran out or went dried. The faith and generosity of the widow to a needy prophet of God. Even in her poverty did pave the way for the superabundance of God over her and her household. 

We need to trust in God, especially in times of lack. However, we need to be generous even amid our lack. As such, we will experience the infinite blessings and abundance of God.

PSALM 146

Today, the Psalm invites us to praise the Lord with our mind, heart, spirit, and soul. The psalmist gives many reasons why we should praise God and be grateful to the Lord. 

The Lord is faithful to his words, and he protects the oppressed and captives. He is the just God who provides for the needy, the sick and strangers. 

He is a provident God who sees to the care of the fatherless and the widows. His blessings last forever to all for all generations. 

SECOND READING: HEBREWS 9:24-28

The theme of Christ, our High Priest of faith, continues in the second reading of today. The author of Hebrews makes to be aware of some fundamental truth of the priesthood of Christ. 

First, he reminds us of the generosity of the priestly sacrifice of Christ. This salvific work of Christ purifies not only the earth but also the heaven. Therefore, Christ salvation is a kind of cosmic redemption that purifies the whole universe, seen and unseen. 

Second, Christ entered not into a man-made Holy Place. He entered into the presence of God to offer pure and holy sacrifice. We are challenged to see Christianity not in terms of Church membership but in the light of intimate fellowship with God.

Third, Christ entered into the presence of God not only for his own sake but for ours. It was to open the way for us and plead our cause. Here, we see the mystery of the sacrifice of Christ as both the priest who offered the sacrifice for sins. And the victim who is being offered for sins. 

Fourth, the sacrifice of Christ is one perfect sacrifice offered once and for all. It is a sacrifice that open way to God and the door of salvation forever. Truthfully, men were always sinners and always will be, but that does not mean that Christ must go on offering himself again and again. The road of mercy, grace, love and salvation is open once and for all. Our worship and liturgical celebrations of the sacraments are only re-enactment or memorial and thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us. 

Finally, the writer to the Hebrews draws a parallel between the life of man and the life of Christ. First, when a man dies and then comes the judgment. These are four main things sure to come in the life of any man. These are death, judgment, hell or heaven. With Christ, it is different. He dies, rises to life and comes again not to be judged but to judge. 

The image painted here is that the early Christian Church never forgot the hope of the Second Coming. Christ first coming was one of generosity, grace and mercy. However, his second coming is one of justice and accountability for the life we have lived. 

THE GOSPEL: MARK 12:38-44

The gospel text of today began with Christ sounding a warning to his disciples and followers. He wanted them to be careful of the lifestyle of the religious authorities, especially the scribes. The question is, why the cautionary warning from Christ to the disciples?

It is because Jesus notices the narcissistic character of these religious authorities of his time. For them, religion is about personal aggrandizement and exploitation of others than the well being of others under their care. Christ brought a series of charges against the scribes. And all the religious authorities of the Jewish religion of his time. 

CHARGES OF JESUS AGAINST RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES 

(a). They liked to walk about in flowing robes. A long robe that swept the ground was the sign of nobility or special prominence. It was the kind of robe that drew attention to themselves instead of God. 

(b). They liked greetings in the marketplace. The scribes loved to be greeted with honour and with respect. They loved titles like Rabbi, which means My great one.

(c). They liked the front seats in the synagogue. In the Jewish synagogues, in front of the ark where the sacred volumes were kept. And facing the congregation. There was a bench where the special distinguished people do sit. It had the advantage that no one who sat there could possibly be missed, being in full view of the admiring congregation.

(d). They liked the highest places at feasts. At feasts, precedence was strictly fixed. The first place was that on the right hand of the host. The second that on the left of the host, and so on.

(e). The scribes and religious authorities devoured the houses of widows with their pretences to be there for them. While they skillfully rob or exploit them. This is a savage charge. Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, says of certain times of intrigue in Jewish history. That the Pharisees valued themselves highly upon their exact skill in the law of their fathers and made men believe that they (the Pharisees) were highly favoured by God. Hence, they inveigled certain women, especially the widows into, their schemes and plotting. 

(f). The scribes and Pharisees were notorious in long prayers. They were offered in such a place and in such a way that no one could fail to see how pious they were who said the prayers. It has been said that the prayers were not so much offered to God as offered to men. 

LESSONS FOR THE PASSAGE ON THE LIFESTYLE OF THE SCRIBES

Jesus was warning his disciple and us against the desire for prominence. For Christ, offices or positions in the Christian Church are not for fame but selfless service to God and his people. The offices in the Christian Church are not only a privilege to serve God. It is also a call to the responsibility of service to men. 

It also warns against the desire for deference. We live in a world where almost everyone likes to be treated with honour and respect. The basic fact of Christianity is that it is a spirituality of self-effacing than self-seeking. 

Furthermore, it warns against the attempt to make a traffic of religion. Where religious leaders channel people to themselves rather than to God. It is quite evident today that many religious authorities used religion for self-gain and self-advancement. This is a warning to all those in the church for what they can get out of it. And not for what they can put into it. 

GENEROSITY IN POVERTY IS THE GREATEST GIFT TO GOD AND OTHERS

The second part of the gospel of today treats rare issues of offering or donating to God. Parallel to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, who showed generosity to a man of God. In the case of the gospel, the poor widow shows her generosity to God and his house. 

In the temple and synagogues, there are many collecting boxes for different contributions for sacrifices and expenses of temple or synagogue from individuals. 

It is into one of these boxes that Jesus noticed the generous contribution of the poor widow in the gospel of today. In other words, Jesus praises the risky generosity of the poor widow. She gave up all she had to live on without giving to worries and care. It was thoughtful of Christ Jesus to recognize and appreciate the generosity of the poor widow. More so, amidst the bountiful giving of the haves. 

The poor widow with a generous and sacrificial spirit gave all she had…trusting in the providence of God. God, in the Person of Christ Jesus, took note of her overwhelming generosity. Obviously, there will be shallows of abundance for her too.

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

Do you trust in the providence of God to care for you at desperate times of lack and crises?

How generous are you to God and others amidst your lack or poverty? 

Do you offer sacrifices to God from the bountiful of what you have? Or do you trust to give up all, even the little you have confidence in his providence to replenish your generosity? 

Does your act of giving to God and others cause you any sacrifice at all?

How generous are you with your thoughts, words, actions, time or things with God and your needy brothers and sisters?

Can we as a church or pastor or priest recognize and praise the widow’s mite among today?

THE LESSONS FOR THE MITE OF THE WIDOW 

The spirit of generosity is a total sacrifice of giving without reservation! A genuine giving must be sacrificial. The amount of the gift never matter so much as its cost to the giver. It is not the size of our giving that matters but the spirit of sacrifice behind the gift. Real generosity gives until it hurts.

A genuine way of giving has a certain recklessness in it. The woman might have kept one coin. It would not have been much, but it would have been something. Yet the poor widow gave everything she had.  

It is a strange and lovely thing that the person whom the New Testament and Jesus handed down to history as a pattern or model of generosity was a person who gave a gift of half a farthing. 

Most often, we may feel that we do have not much. Bthe way of material gifts or personal gifts to give to God and others. However, we could put ourselves and all that we have and are at the disposal of God. There are many things God do with our disposition and self-generosity beyond our imaginings. 

SHAME AND TRAGEDY OF CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES TODAY

There is symbolic truth in the gospel story of the poor widow and her giving of all to God. It is our tragedy that there is so often some part of our lives, some part of our activities, some part of ourselves which we do not give to Christ. 

Today, it is a sign of moral decadence and gross insensitive that many of our churches coaxed gifts, offerings and tithe from the people without consideration if they have or not. 

It is a failure of our Christianity that those who give out the abundance of what they have are considered generous to those who practical give all they had to live on. Sadly enough, many will not give at all to God or others unless they are in the eyes of the camera or social media.  

They give out in charity only when they get something back in the way of praise, recognition, title, or goods. The greatest tragedy here is that very few of us read this story without shame. The ways funds are raised today from the poor or less privileged in the Christian Church is far from godliness. Or even the way the generosity of the rich are trumpeted and given preferential attention or treatment. At the expense of the poor in the church today is also shameful.

The fact is that we can be poor and in need and still be generous to God and others. The stories of the biblical readings of today invite us to examine the quality of giving. This is not just in our lives and in church’s collections. Equally, how sensitive are we to a worthy cause that attracts our attention and sympathy?

OUR PRAYER

Lord, Jesus Christ, what a sense of worries, anxieties and insecurities we allow to engulf us amidst our accumulations and possessions. 

Help us to realize that when we depend wholly on your divine providence. Like the two widows …the jars of life necessities would not go empty, and the jug of divine abundance never runs dry. This is because there are more blessings in giving, and God loves a CHEERFUL GIVER. Amen. 

Lord, we are a call to be imitators of you in the generous self-giving of yourself without heeding the cost. Help us to understand and to apply this to our daily living. The principle is that true love has a price tag of self-giving along with risky charity and a generous attitude. 

We pray that, as we struggle to trust and confide in the infinite goodness of your Word and promises. Even when it is difficult, make us trust and obey You. Amen

MY EMBARRASSMENT IN THE GENEROSITY OF GOD AND OTHERS TOWARDS ME

Precisely, about three years ago, I did publish how God embarrassed me with his providence and generosity. Many people were asking me if I did win the lottery. No. it was my experience of lack of trust in the Word of God and his promises that embarrassed me.

Especially when I allowed cares and worries to dominate me than putting my faith and trust in God. My embarrassment is that I have little faith in God when there are many pressing needs around me and, God always proves me wrong.

On this occasion of my holidays in Nigeria, I ran short of money and my holidays has not ended. Indeed, I was concerned and worried about how the rest of the holidays will go without money. For sure, it is not that I do not have what will take me through the rest of the holidays, but I had to give or share what I budgeted for my holidays to a much-needed person.

Providentially, a day after, I gave away almost the last penny I had. I woke with an early text message from a priest, brother and friend outside Nigeria. He asked me to send him my bank account that he had some Mass intentions. He will like to share with me. And he did send me four times more of what I gave away.

Indeed, this is one of the instances in which God had embarrassed me with unexpected generosity amidst my worries. There are many moments like this that I failed to trust in God, his Word, and his promises.

HUMILITY AND SERVICE

There is a story of a monk in the old days, a very holy man. He was sent to take up an office as an abbot in a monastery. He looked so humble a person that, when he arrived, he was sent to work in the kitchen as a scullion because no one recognized him. Without a word of protest and with no attempt to take his position, he went and washed the dishes and did the most menial tasks. It was only when the bishop arrived a considerable time later. This mistake was discovered, and the humble monk took up his true and rightful position as abbot.