"Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents." (Mark 12: 41).
Saturday 5th June 2021, in the 9th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Boniface (680 - 754), Bishop and Martyr. The well educated English Benedictine priest was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize the German tribes. Boniface was consecrated the first Bishop of Germany. He organized the Church in Germany and was martyred in Friesland (present day Netherlands) when he went to preach there. St Boniface is the patron saint of Germany.
Our key Scripture for today is the contribution of the poor widow to the Temple. Jesus was sitting in a strategic location in the Temple and observed people as they came to make their offerings. When Jesus observed the poor widow make her offering, Jesus called His disciples to himself and said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury."
On the first Saturday of June, let us reflect on one widow: Mary the Mother of Jesus was a widow for most of her life. Tradition recounts that Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary did not live long enough to see the public ministry of Jesus. From what we gathered from traditional sources, Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived a modest life even when Joseph, the main bread winner was still alive. We can only guess that things did not change much after Joseph died.
What can we learn from Mary the poor widow. We know that after Jesus started His public ministry, Mary followed Her Son everywhere He went. She was at Cana for the first miracle of Jesus. When she got the malicious message that Jesus had gone mad from too much preaching and not eating for days, Mary went with some relatives to check out the story.
At the foot of the Cross, one of the last words of Jesus was to commit Mary to the care of John the Evangelist. The poor widow Mary earned the title the "first disciple" of Jesus. She learned everything she could about the teaching of Jesus.
The Church honors the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturdays especially on the First Saturday of each month.
"For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she [Mary], from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
What a wonderful Mother we have in Mary.
Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com
Thank you Mama Mary for accepting to be my mother at the foot of the Cross. Thank you for your never ending love and protection. I love you Mama.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that🙏
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