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document.write('<h3>Scripture Reflection for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time<br>November 8, 2009</h3><p><strong><em>by <a target="_bl');
document.write('ank" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors/bio_bjubar.htm"><font color="#000000">Brandon Jubar</font></a');
document.write('></em></strong></p><h3> Reading I: <a href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/1kings/1kings17.htm#v10">1 Kings 17:10-16</a');
document.write('><br>Reading II: <a href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/hebrews/hebrews9.htm#v24">Hebrews 9:24-28</a><br>GOSPEL: <a hre');
document.write('f="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/mark/mark12.htm#v38">Mark 12:38-44</a></h3><h3>The Widow\'s Mite</h3><P>In today\'s go');
document.write('spel reading, we hear the familiar story of the widow who places two <i>mites</i> -- small Jewish coins worth only a few');
document.write(' cents -- into the treasury while others donate much larger sums.  For many people, it simply presents a lesson about th');
document.write('e relative value of a gift versus its absolute value.  But for others, the parable of the widow\'s mite presents a diffic');
document.write('ult challenge concerning not only the use of personal wealth, but also the use of the wealth possessed by the nation as ');
document.write('a whole.</P><h3>The Value of a Gift</h3><P>Jesus told his disciples that the widow\'s gift was more valuable than the m');
document.write('uch larger sums donated by others because she gave from her want, not from her excess.  In other words, she didn\'t give ');
document.write('money from what she had left over, she gave money <b>before</b> she took care of all her own needs and desires.  The ric');
document.write('h people, on the other hand, made sure they provided for themselves lavishly and then gave a portion of what was left.  ');
document.write('In essence, there was no sacrifice involved in what the rich people gave, while the widow could very well have been sacr');
document.write('ificing her next meal or two.</P><P>A friend of mine has very little money this year for Christmas presents, so she has');
document.write(' been shopping for fabrics on sale with plans to sew gifts for most of the people on her list.  In fact, she is going to');
document.write(' make a set of curtains for her daughter.  I have another friend who is spending hundreds of dollars to buy her son a ne');
document.write('w laptop computer because the one he has now isn\'t powerful enough.  Which gift is more valuable -- the set of hand-made');
document.write(' curtains, or the laptop computer?</P><P>Based upon the parable of the widow\'s mite, I\'d say that the curtains are the ');
document.write('more valuable gift.  My friend will need to work extra hours just to afford the fabric, and then she\'ll spend time actua');
document.write('lly sewing the curtains herself.  The absolute value -- the market value -- is far less than the computer, but she is de');
document.write('finitely giving from her want, not her excess.</P><h3>America, the Pharisee?</h3><P>For many people, the parable of th');
document.write('e widow\'s mite poses a more difficult challenge when applied on a larger scale.  As Americans, we often speak proudly of');
document.write(' the fact that our nation offers so much "aid" to poverty-stricken third-world countries.  As Christians, we are pleased');
document.write(' by this because it makes us feel benevolent and generous.  It makes us feel that, at least in some regards, we are doin');
document.write('g some good in the world.</P><P>On the one hand, the aid that we provide is certainly needed.  Whether it is food, medi');
document.write('cine, clothing, housing, or any number of other things, there is no doubt that people require the assistance.</P><P>On ');
document.write('the other hand, the aid that the United States provides, as a percentage of our Gross National Product, is tiny compared');
document.write(' to what is being provided by many other, poorer countries.  So as a nation, we are <b>not</b> giving from our want.  We');
document.write(' are giving from our excess, which is something that Jesus warned against.  And if we really stop to think about it, is ');
document.write('it something we should be proud of?  Can we comfortably say that it is in-line with our Catholic teachings concerning th');
document.write('e poor?</P><P>Perhaps we should view this gospel story as a challenge to the status quo -- a call for us, as a nation, ');
document.write('to be more like the widow and less like the Pharisees.  There is a personal lesson here as well, but it\'s time for us to');
document.write(' recognize that we are also responsible to our "neighbors" on a much grander scale.</P><hr><h3>Life Applications:</h3>');
document.write('<P>Have you ever had to struggle to pay for gifts?<br>When you donate money to your church or charities, do you give fro');
document.write('m your poverty or from your excess?<br>What else can you give besides money?</p>');
document.write('<hr><P>Copyright 2009 <strong><em>by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors/');
document.write('bio_bjubar.htm"><font color="#000000">Brandon Jubar</font></a></em></strong><A HREF="http://www.ParishWebmaster.com/" ST');
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