I find this gospel reading interesting. Why? Well, first of all....it started out saying that Jesus sat down opposite the place where people were giving their money for the temple treasury. Apparently, Christ had an interest in seeing who was giving money to the church treasury. Jesus was there watching the people giving money into the temple treasury. Of course, God does not need the money, and Jesus knows this. The money is used for the maintenance of the temple as the Jewish people gather there to pray despite that the Pharisees were hypocrites. Notice that Jesus never told the people not to put the money into the temple because the Pharisees were hypocrites? He never told the people not to support the Pharisees with their money. The temple at that time was the house of God....a house of prayer, and Christ was angry when people used His Father's house as a marketplace. Nevertheless, God was watching and looking into people's hearts as they made their contribution to the church.
As Christ stayed there watching the people, the only time He got up was to praise a poor widow who put all she has into the temple treasury. He called His disciples and told them that the poor widow gave all she had because she trusted God. Christ was looking into the hearts of the people as they were contributing their money to the church treasury. He wanted to know just how much they trusted God. The rich gave out of their wealth, but the poor woman, out of her poverty, put in everything.
Another interesting thing about this story is that Christ never stopped the poor woman from contributing money to the church treasury. Why? Because even the poor who used the Church to pray in must also contribute. God rewards all those who contributed into the Church treasury, not because of the money but because of their trust in Him and the love for His house of prayer.
DIANA,
ReplyDeleteWe contribute to Our parish church on Sunday's and go beyond the needs of our parish, but will not contribute to the Annual Appeal here on island. Our hard earned money is now being Donated to fund an orphanage with children who have severe deformities in Manila.
Dear Anonymous at 12:54 pm,
DeleteWhere in my entry post did I say that you did not contribute??? The fact that you wrote this shows that you feel guilty about something. :)
Guilty...never...at least I know where my money goes and how it is spent. Catering food when I am there to these orphans and seeing joy in their eyes and facial expressions is hard to describe...so no I am nor feeling guilty about anything...are you?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 4:16 pm,
DeleteThe fact that you felt you had to tell me that you do contribute to your parish on Sundays shows that you feel guilty about something. I do not need to know whether you give money to your parish or not. That is between you and God. After all, He is the one watching you as you give your money to the parish. :-)
Diana,
DeleteYou post we reply..maybe ur the one feeling guilty for posting this article because you don't give enough. This is ur outlet for your guilt. You are so quick to judge people and their motives. I doubt very much you will be able to even look at these children. The sign on the entrance says if you cannot handle seeing deformities or disfigured children, please do not enter. Don't judge me on guilt...think about your own guilt.
Dear Anonymous at 5:33 pm,
DeleteThis was my reply to Ken At the bottom. So, I will say the same thing to you with a slight modification.
In the first place, You were the one who brought up not donating to the Annual Appeal. Why bring that up??? I know what they have been saying in the jungle. I have received emails telling me that the jungle is telling everyone NOT to donate to the Annual Appeal. Contributing money to an orphanage is a good thing, but why bring up the Annual Appeal, which is also a good thing??? I think that is where the guilt is especially after reading this entry post and considering what the jungle has been telling people.
Because this post is about the Annual Appeal... reading between the lines... this is just to let you know that I am one of many who will not be giving so you know
Deletethen don't give, it's your choice
DeleteTranslation:
ReplyDeleteEven if you think the Archbishop and the leadership of the Archdiocese is corrupt and useless, you should give money to the Appeal.
Thanks, but there are plenty of ways to contribute to the Church without propping up a failing and evil cult.
Dear Anonymous at 1:15 pm,
DeleteWhy do you call the NCW "evil?" Has the NCW killed millions of people? Are they like ISIS??
The NCW leads people away from the Catholic faith and practices to something else. It seeks to change the Church from within and distort or replace the revealed truth with the prejudices of a couple of egotists.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 1:46 pm,
DeleteIs there something wrong that you find in this entry post??? Are you telling me that Jesus did not praise the poor widow for contributing everything she had?? Perhaps, it is the part that Jesus was watching people putting money into the temple treasury that you find wrong???
Honestly, sisters and brothers,
Deleteno one really wants to be like this poor widow. we must first be honest and
acknowledge that something is wrong here…
Let’s not admire and love this poor widow too quickly. Let’s rather try to imagine
her and her situation.let us hear Jesus speak – let us hear his words as lamentation rather than praise. Hear Jesus’ sad voice when he says: ―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.
The reason for the sad tone in Jesus’ voice is the poverty and the impoverishment
of the widow and the inhuman involvement the scribes have in the whole story. Jesus denounces a political and religious system that takes from the poorest of the poor to an extend that is life-threatening… that is taking away from them the minimum which they should have to be able to survive…
Dear Anonymous at 6:41 pm,
DeleteAccording to the footnotes in the New American Bible, it stated:
"The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness."
I would follow what the footnotes say in the Catholic bible. Also, I will remind you that Jesus also told a rich man to sell everything he has and give it to the poor and come follow him. This is the same Jesus who praises.......yes praise......the poor widow for giving everything. This act showed complete trust in God that He would provide for her.
Isn't money evil? So why does the church want it? More over- why does NCW require it in the levels or stages- property, retirement, savings, asserts, etc. the NCW always says God will provide but then it relies on its members and us to give.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 9:11 pm.,
DeleteIt is the LOVE of money that is evil.
We cannot read the story about the widow’s offering without taking into consideration the few verses that immediately precede this text.
DeleteIn the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
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.”
Prior to witnessing the widow’s offering, Jesus had been teaching his disciples about some systems of social inequity, of imbalance in the religious, political, and social structures of his day.
Diana, this is not an opportunity to praise the widow, but a chance to lament the disgusting injustice that creates the condition for this scene. The widow’s offering is an illustration of what Jesus was just talking about — the religious, political, and social establishment has systematically corrupted her way of thinking such that she apparently feels compelled to give far beyond what likely hurts her and anyone, say children, that might depend on her.
Again Diana, your reading of Jesus’s comments that appears to hold the widow up on a pedestal is, I believe, a perpetuation of this injustice that inflicted the widow of Jesus’s time and continues to affect the poor and vulnerable in our day. How sad that this way of reading the text continues in this day and age.
Dear Anonymous at 9:44 am,
DeleteSo, you are going to ignore the footnotes in the Catholic Bible??? Again, this is what the footnotes of the New American Bible stated regarding that particular biblical verse:
"The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness."
The footnotes and commentaries of the Bible are interpretations of the Catholic Church. Are we supposed to follow YOUR interpretation or what is in the Holy Bible interpreted by the Church according to the footnotes and commentaries?
I guess, Diana, we can you ask Archbishop Oscar Romero soon St. Oscar Romero (martyr)?
DeleteIn his last sermon, he said "Let no one be offended because we use the divine words read at our mass to shed light on the social, political and economic situation of our people. Not to do so would be unchristian.
Dear Anonymous at 12:32 pm,
DeleteWas Archbishop Oscar Romero referring to that same particular biblical verse? I don't think so.
Dear Diana at 1.53pm. Did God tell you that too?
DeleteWhy do you cast judgement on Anon 12:54 PM? They were simply sharing their thoughts and you turned it into a guilt trip. Like you mentioned God knows and is watching, that should be enough. The fact that you have to tell that person they have guilt and try to ignite some ill feelings from your readers about their post is wrong.
ReplyDeleteDear Ken,
DeleteIn the first place, Anon 12:54 was the one who brought up not donating to the Annual Appeal. Why bring that up. I know what they have been saying in the jungle. I have received emails telling me that the jungle is telling everyone NOT to donate to the Annual Appeal. Contributing money to an orphanage is a good thing, but why bring up the Annual Appeal, which is also a good thing??? I think that is where the guilt is especially after reading this entry post and considering what the jungle has been telling people.
Why bring up the appeal? Because that is the motive for your OP, Diana. We are not all as stupid as you.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 7:11 pm,
DeleteWhat was said here about the Annual Appeal is what the NCW would call an echo. All I did was wrote about a Gospel verse. Nothing in that post is said about the Annual Appeal. But after reading the biblical verse and listening to a "word", the gospel reading touched you and you were able to relate to something occurring in your life today, which is you not contributing to the annual appeal. Now, the question you need to ask yourself is your motive in not contributing to the Annual Appeal. Quite honestly, one can contribute to BOTH the Annual Appeal and to a children's orphanage.
No, you wrote the post with a certain motivation. It wasn't pure chance that you chose to reflect on this Gospel verse, was it dear Diana? Again, you must think very poorly of the intelligence of your readers
DeleteEchoing.? Echoing for you people is telling your problems..,
DeleteGo ahead DIANA and contribute for me...My money can go elsewhere like paying tuition.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 8:19 pm,
DeleteNowhere in my entry post did I mention the Annual Appeal. As JSB put it, it was my personal reflection on a Gospel reading.. Commenters who read the same Gospel reading ended up mentioning the Annual Appeal and saying that the NCW is evil simply because that is what their subconscience is dwelling on. The Gospel reading opens up a window into a person's heart so we know exactly what is YOUR motivation and intention.
Why this particular reading Diana? Your posts are almost never reflections on Gospel readings. So why this one and why now? Lets understand YOUR motivation and intention.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:41 am,
DeleteGod said that this would be a good reading to reflect on. So, I follow God's will and reflected on the Gospel reading. It is not my fault that one person came in here and mention the Annual Appeals, another said the NCW is evil, and another said he prefers to spend money on his tuition. That was THEIR free will.
ReplyDeleteMy friend meg from cb telling me annual appeal is funding for archbishops vacations along with paying air tickets for seminarians to fly to Guam from Columbia.
Dear Anonymous at 7:29 pm,
DeleteThis is false. You can find information about the Annual appeal in the following weblink:
http://www.aganaarch.org/2014-archdiocesan-annual-appeal/
The Annual Appeal pays for the cost of the chaplain ministry in the hospital and prison, clergy support, and other program costs. Some of the money also goes to the seminary to help the seminarians into the priesthood. Only 10% of the Annual Appeal goes to the RMS seminary. The JPII seminary, however, receives 100% from the Annual Appeal.
That is not true Diana. The only 10 percent mentioned was that the Archdiocese only contributes 10 percent of total operational cost to RMS. nowhere was it made known what percentages go to RMS, JPII, or the Chaplains.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 8:52 am,
DeleteDid you not read the weblink I provided. You stated, "nowhere was it made known what percentage goes to the RMS, JPII, or the Chaplains." The figures are in the weblink, and they even have a pie graph. You should be able to read a pie graph.
Dear Diana at 7.07. Here's a window into your mind. You say 10% of the Annual Appeal goes to the RMS, but JPII receives 100%. That makes 110% which is impossible.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:43 am,
DeleteIt is obvious that you did not bother to read the report in the weblink I provided. I was going by what the report says. This is what it says:
"The Archdiocese provides approximately10% financial sup-port to RMS and 100% to [St.] John Paul II Archdiocesan Seminary of Guam. The RMS makes up the remaining 90% through contributions, donations, and fundraising. The Arch-diocesan support of 10% to the RMS’s 2014 budget is approximately $98,000. The budget for the recently established St. John Paul II Archdiocesan Seminary is estimated at $65,829. The estimated cost for a seminarian studying off island is approximately $55,000 per year. In FY 2013, it was $35,730 with scholarship assistance."
What the report is saying is that there are two seminaries on Guam. The Archdiocese only gives 10% to the RMS seminary because the other 90% comes from donations and fundraising.
The JPII seminary, on the other hand, depends solely on the Archdiocese and gets 100% of their funding because they do not do any fundraising or receive donations from outside groups.
Mark 12:41-44 is the Gospel at hand. It is not where we contribute; how much we give or whether a person may have a guilt trip or not.
ReplyDeleteDiana provided a personal reflection; nothing more...nothing less.
instead of people commenting on their "own" personal reflection on this Gospel, we have comments like the NCW is evil.......we are not as stupid.
Absolutely no thought of how the Gospel...how the Word of God is acting in their lives......but to attack with malice.
A open window into their hearts.
JSB
Dear JSB,
DeleteExactly. :-)
JSB , this is what the Gospel is telling us.
ReplyDeleteJesus is not praising the generosity of the widow. Instead, he is condemning the scribes, the priests, the temple and their system of flat taxation. Jesus’ words about the widow represent the culminating point in his unrelenting campaign against hypocrisy and exploitation of the poor by the religious and political leadership of his day.
My question to JSB is this,when the collection plate passes in front of us on Sunday or when our NCW priest urges us to follow the example he finds in the story of the widow’s mite, what would JSB do?
Anonoymous Feb 26...1:57.......
ReplyDeleteYou may rightfully say....this is what the Gospel is telling me....this is what it means to me....but you cannot dictate or assume that your interpretation alone is received in the same way to another.
to me.....this Gospel shows me about the spirit in how I should give to the Church. The widow filled with absolute faith and spirit knows that God will provide what she needs......in this earth and the next.
I am in the Way because God showed me my own reality......I don't have the faith of the widow nor can I freely give in spirit. This is why I walk....praying as I do for God to give me the grace to live as the widow.
Made some progress through the years though.....money is not an idol anymore. My wife and I give whatever we have...Monday through Sunday. And when we do give freely, we know that it is the SPIRIT in us that is helping us give.....it is not through our own will.
One last response to your comment.....he is condemning the scribes? This is not Jesus as I have come to know...he came to save.....not condemn.
JSB
JSB just because you made the second scrutiny doesn't mean money is not an idol anymore. Please wake up as Money is the easiest idol one can give up. You haven't made it to the second Initiation to Prayer. Let me test...do you have a car? Can you sell your car and give the money to someone at the hospital in need to pay their bill?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous.....the scrutinies are lived everyday.......not made....passed or failed. Only through God's grace can I live a life in communion with Jesus Christ. I can truthfully tell you that I don't need the devil to sin....I can sin very well on my own. I walk not only to protect myself from the devil but myself as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for your test.....who can best provide for this person at the hospital with bills? Me or God. The test that I will answer too is if today.....today, God puts a person in front of me and ask for help.....can you sell your car to help me pay medical bills? There are traps here because if I did sell my car and paid his or her bills, then I would first appear to be the one....someone worthy of praise because they would know that I did it. The second trap is I myself would start to think in the same way......yes...I did it.....all by myself. The sin of pride sort of thing. The third trap is the praises....thank you...thank you.......we live for praises and acknowledgements.
Don't thank me because it was only through the grace of God that I can do anything good.
Without telling anyone.....I would pray.....really pray.....sell my car....put the money in an envelope with no writing...and give it to the person anonymously.
I cannot.....pass......your test without the Spirit of the Lord working within me. And if I did sell my car......gave......it wasn't because of me.
JSB
JSB, the spirit was given to you when the archbishop laid his hands on you during the liturgy of the 2nd Scrutiny. there should be no hesitation on your part. You rationalize too much if i were your catechist. And do not give me the catechesis on money. Or maybe, a simplier one, invite me to your house and maybe ask some of your stuff. How about that...Tell me your place and i will visit, JSB
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAnonymousFebruary 27, 2015 at 11:24 PM
I sincerely apologize if you misunderstood; you asked a question which was...to what I thought was... would I freely sell my car to pay for someone's medical bills.
My personal response was not a catechesis about money or how you or anyone would respond.
You now ask me to invite you into my house. We have now migrated from my car, my money to my material goods.
anonymous, nothing I own will satisfy you.
JSB
it is not about me but to test you on money...'test yourselves on these tainted goods" to see if you truly have the Spirit as you seem to attest in your previous posts. i am up to it. or you can give me what you treasure most. ok?
Deleteyou will test a brother without testing yourself first? Are you really up to it?
Deletewould you freely, without any hesitance give your treasures anonymous Mar 4 8:15?
I would start with following Jesus Christ......that's the only thing God is asking.
Matthew 17:5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
JSB
.
ReplyDeleteTo instruct the ignorant and to admonish the sinner are acts of mercy - another way we can contribute to the Lord`s work.. By the widow`s meager contribution with extreme love did she unbeknownst contribute more than a million dollars. Whatever we decide to do for the Lord, let it be because of extreme love for Him.
tead the context of the story. an. 538am. i suppose you do scrutacio? right? read the text before or after.
DeleteLet each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:7
ReplyDelete"God is a giver, so He wants to make us givers too." The more we give and help others, the easier it becomes for us to do so. After a while, it becomes such a part of who we are, that giving up some of our wealth to help others becomes a regular part of life. We learn to give naturally, willingly and cheerfully. When other people see this quality in us, they are seeing one of God's qualities through us.
The question may just maybe....is money the only thing God wants us to give freely? How about our faith to our children; our valuable time to comfort someone in the family who is sick in spirit or in health; how about our love?
JSB
really jsb? invite me to your house. then we will see where your truly is
DeleteAnonymousMarch 4, 2015 at 8:18 PM
Deletereally jsb? invite me to your house. then we will see where your truly is
do you mean to say where my is truly is?
JSB
Diana, why do we need 2 seminaries on Guam? I thought RMS was a diocesan seminary? Why do we need John Paul II down south? Please explain. This is one reason why I'm a little hesitant to give to the appeal?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 10:41 pm,
DeleteI assume that the John Paul II seminary are for those who want to stay on Guam and don't do any missionary work. RMS seminary is both diocesan and missionary.
Diana @10:41, Anon @10:41:
DeleteIt's more than just that, Diana, and you know it. Be truthful!!
RMS is to prepare them to Walk the Neo Way, it says so in their articles. John Paul II was formed for those who do not wish to Walk, they wish to be a 'traditional' priest. Highly doubtful that RMS can be called 'diocesan', otherwise why would the Archbishop have to set up JPII??
Dear Anonymous at 7:56 am,
DeleteThe fact that you do not believe me is not my problem. That is your problem.
We all have seen the RMS priest conduct a regular parish Mass that they are assigned in. If the RMS priest is only trained to do an NCW Mass, then ask yourself why they are able to do the regular parish mass that they were assigned to????? On the other hand, these priests are also trained to be missionary and can be called to do worldwide missionary work, which is what the Neocatechuemenal Way is involved in.
I already gave you an answer as to why JPII was established. We already know that these seminarians in JPII are NOT trained to do any worldwide missionary work......perhaps because they simply want to stay home in Guam. Since the JPII seminarians prefer to stay home, they would only be trained to do LOCAL mission work. They are NOT trained to do any worldwide mission work the way the RMS priest is. (See the following weblink).
http://cathnews.co.nz/2013/12/17/second-seminary-open-guam/
According to the weblink above, it stated:
"Both seminaries are diocesan seminaries owned by the Archdiocese of Agana; however one will underscore the local mission in the archdiocese while the other will have the added element of availability for the world wide mission."
But, why the need for a second seminary when you can adjust the courses? It doesn't make financial sense to have two if it's just a matter of the breadth of your missionary work. The RMS place is big enough for both.
DeleteThe link you provide is a press release....for someone trying to find a balanced look it would hardly seem an unbiased source.
Is the NCW's ultimate plan to take over the Catholic Church on Guam? I say this because everyone placed into upper level positions within the church seem to be affiliated with The Way? Please enlighten us? Thanks, Greg Diaz
ReplyDeleteDear Greg Diaz,
DeleteThe NCW is Catholic. We are part of the Catholic Church. We are not forcing anyone to join the NCW. It was my choice to join the NCW.
The JP2 seminarians should have courses taken outside of the RMS just like other RMS seminaries in the world, say Philippines, NJ, Rome, Madrid...why not send them to other seminary here in the Pacific o Cali. There should be diversity in theological perspectives to encompass a more balance and solid theological formation.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 2:29 pm,
DeleteSince when is the Catholic Church diverse in their theological perspective when there is only one truth??????
Balanced.....smart.....priest?
DeleteLord, bless us with one that obeys your will
this is the only quality of a true servant.
JSB
Since the Council of Jerusalem and more recently in Rome 2014, Pope Francis told the international group of theologians that advises him and the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to respect a diversity of theological views and to listen to the "signs of the times" in their work.
ReplyDeleteDiana wrote : To become ONE is to be aware and to appreciate the variety of liturgies and the diversity in the Universal (Catholic) Church.
ReplyDeleteYet Diana, talks about ONE Truth and does not want to hear diversity in theological and biblical understanding...
Diana is totally selective...selective Truth!
hayyayah.....
Dear Anonymous at 10:11 am,
DeleteThere is only ONE Truth. Do you not know that Jesus Christ is the Truth. He said that He is the Way, the Life, and the Truth. Do you know of any other Truth other than Jesus Christ????