The Gospel of Mark, chapter 12:43-44
Back in the year, 1990, I was told at a Rotary meeting in Okeechobee that a Mexican had won the lotto. “That should help your Church,” exclaimed my Baptist friend, enthusiastically.
“That’s news to me,” I replied.
The following Sunday, after the Spanish mass, a little Mexican came up to me and said in Spanish:
“I won the lotto, Padre.”
“So, you’re the man I heard about,” I replied, and I congratulated him.
“I want to give the first third to the church, Padre,” he said. “The next third goes to my daughter who is building a house; and the last third I’m dividing between myself and Save the Children.”
“That’s wonderful,” I respond, and I can hardly wait to hear how much he won.
When he said in Spanish: “quince mil dolares,” I thought it meant: fifteen million dollars and I was, naturally, overjoyed. As he handed me a check for the Church’s portion: five thousand dollars, I realized he won fifteen thousand, not quince millones de dolares: fifteen million dollars. Still, I was overjoyed and highly impressed by this man’s generosity.
Like the widow in today’s gospel, Reynaldo contributed from his poverty, keeping just the bare minimum of his winnings for himself.
Everything we have, we possess as stewards of the Lord’s kingdom. The widow in today’s gospel, like Reynaldo who won the lotto, gave much more to the church than others who had contributed much bigger amounts.
Why?
She gave from the heart while the others contributed from their surplus wealth.
Fr. Hugh Duffy.
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