MONDAY HOMILY: The Widow's Mite

11/26/2012

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Second, we should strive to be generous in the things of God, turning attention to him and away from ourselves. Spiritual writers refer to this as a spirit of detachment. The widow of the Gospel - despite her poverty - lives a beautiful and generous spirit of detachment in the matter of her religious tithe. In absolute terms, her offering didn't amount to much, but for her it was a sacrificial gift, and we should not underestimate its spiritual value. "The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2544).

Finally, we acquire a right intention by rejecting discouragement. Many times our intentions may not be as crystalline as we would like. They may be mixed and confused. We should not worry too much about this. God will accept what our hearts can offer, and use that offering as a foundation for our continuing conversion.

With God's help, let us strive to set the stage for Advent by cultivating a generous spirit of detachment from the things around us.

Fr. Stephen B. Reynolds is pastor of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, TX, a suburb of Houston. You may visit the parish website at: www.SugarLandCatholic.com.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Gospel of Luke, daily homily, right intention, November 26 2012, widow's mite, tithe, tithing, temple, Jesus, Fr. Stephen B. Reynolds

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

Robert Burford
6 months ago
The right intention and discouragement. Thanks Father Reynolds! I sometimes doubt my intentions but never look for glory in what I do for the Lord , my family and community.
abey
6 months ago
However with regards to the Jerusalem temples it is noted that the second Temple had not the Glory of the first , atleast until Christ came in. The main differences being, where in the First temple the Arc of the Covenant was present in the Holy of Holies as also the offerings of Sacrifices used to be taken up by a fire from God, which things was not to the second temple where the Holy of Holies was an empty room. However the significance of the second temple was the veil which was rent in two from the top when Jesus died on the Cross, to its Spiritual revelation in "The opening of Heaven" where was seen The Arc of the Covenant in the temple by Apostle John in revelations, that which is kept by God to dwell in the hearts of men to the words of Christ "Ye are the temple of the living God" forming the new Covenant or the Original covenant yet to a revelation as understood of the manner as stated by Apostle Paul in Hebrews 9: 1-5, uncut by hand to the shadow of the old, cut by hand.

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