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Homily (Reflection) for Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (09th June, 2018) on the Gospel and the Memorial

 
2Tim 4:1-8;
Ps 70:8-9.14-17.22. (R. cf. v. 15);
Mk 12:38-44.
The memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on Saturday after the Solemnity of Sacred Heart of Jesus. It calls to mind a lot of things which include:
Mary’s interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and above all, her virginal love for her God, and her maternal love for her Divine Son, and her motherly and compassionate love for her sinful and miserable children here below.[1]
It is one’s love for Jesus and for God that draws him/her to the Heart of Mary.
Topic: Widow’s mite.
Often people talk about widow’s mite especially while giving. We see that widow in today’s gospel. As Jesus watched the crowd putting money into the treasury, “Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny” (Mk 12: 41-42).
Jesus said to His disciples,
Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on (Mk 12:43-44).
William Barclay rightly draws some lessons from this poor widow’s offering: Real giving must be sacrificial. The amount of the gift never matters so much as its cost to the giver, not the size of the gift, but the sacrifice. Again, real giving has a certain recklessness in it[2].
Therefore, an offering cannot be correctly tagged ‘widows mite’ based on the amount but based on what the giver has. Hence, Saint Paul writes: “the gift is acceptable according to what one has–not according to what one does not have” (2Cor 8:12). And Tobit rightly admonished his son Tobias thus, “If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have” (Tob 4:8). Give in relation to what God has blessed you with. Mary whose heart we celebrate today gave her entire self to God, cf. Lk 1:38. We ought to implore God to give us such heart.
Bible Reading: 1Cor 12:1-30; 2Cor 8:1-15; Heb 12:14-28; 13:5-6; Ps 49:5-20.
Thought for today: Do you give to God sacrificially?
Let us pray: God our Father, help us to offer to you and to our neighbours in relation to what we have – Amen.
Immaculate Heart of Mary – Pray for us (your children) AMEN!
You are free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.

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[2] Barclay, W. (2006). The daily study bible: The gospel of Mark. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, pp. 302-303.

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