Thirty-second Sunday in ordinary Time, Year B Mk 12,38-44

Last Sunday, we heard the guidance – do not forget the love of God and neighbor, and today, Jesus tells us about fully surrendering ourselves into God’s hands, into the hands of the one to whom our love is directed. “For all gave out of their abundance, but she, in her poverty, gave all that she had her whole living.” The Jerusalem Temple was a vast, beautiful structure that was artistically decorated. Such a building must be permanently repaired and maintained. There were 13 coffers in the arcade by the beautiful gate, into which pilgrims deposited their contributions. The rich threw in their large sums, and the priest announced them loudly. Poor people threw in their small donations without being noticed. Lord Jesus sat down and watched the long crowd approach the treasury. He sees a woman there tossing her last two coins. And when you give a gift, don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. This is how a poor widow sacrifices. He gives everything he has. We need to stop and think about this. She gave everything. Unfathomable! We could say unbelievable – it is impossible to trust God like this. Perhaps the supervising priest just smiled. Such a gift will not help the temple. But Jesus, observing this scene, said to the disciples: “She gave the most.”

Others give from their surplus, and the woman does not think of herself. Holy Father John XXIII received a large amount from the American bishop for the church’s needs. He praised him: “You certainly have generous and self-sacrificing believers.” “Yes, but I have to keep encouraging them. I tell them that I prefer to listen to the rustling of banknotes during the collection than the tinkling of change”. The Pope, who came from a low-income family, remarked: “I prefer to hear the tinkling of the poor widow’s bells. God’s blessing rests on them.“ The way we give can sometimes be more important than the gift itself. When a mother receives a house, a sun, and a piece of blue sky drawn on a piece of paper from her little son for a holiday – or when her child brings her a small flower – it is a tremendous gift for her because she thinks of only one thing. How to show love. The world still knows pious people in a double form, as demonstrated by Jesus himself: One of them is a frightening form of righteousness, the pious pretensions of the Pharisees of all centuries. They abuse religion for their selfish goals, and then the bad side is cast on the account of a religious person. Nothing is sacred to such people. They are quick mask changers; they have their mask for every occasion. In other words, they know how to “fool“ everyone they meet. The second form of righteousness is the purity of the two widows from today’s word of God: the widow of Sarepta and the piety of the window at the temple treasury. Both calmly share the last because they know that God will not abandon the one who gives in love – they have the experience we discussed last time. She gave him everything she had! She gave herself to him. Perhaps a person would like to give God something remarkable but wants to keep himself. But he offers nothing to God unless he gives him himself. It means not giving only the amount of something inferior, but the most important thing. We should let ourselves be fully poured out, as we pour out a cup, and let ourselves be filled with God in this way. Finally, remove the plug that prevents filling. A bottle that is closed and, although under a stream of water, remains empty. As soon as we become humble, God enters. As we deprive ourselves, God fills us. And it is about the coming of God. Believing does not mean simply accepting something as true, but believing means allowing yourself to be enlightened by God. The Gospel speaks not about social feelings, but about surrendering (trusting) one’s life to God. God wants the heart of man. God wants a man. Whoever surrenders himself completely to God makes room for love between God and man.

A man fell into a deep chasm, and as he fell, he caught hold of a tree branch that grew there. He didn’t know what to do, he was desperate, so he started asking Jesus for help. Jesus, help me. I trust you fully and that you can get me out of this. Jesus comes to him, and what do you want? How can I help you? Help me not to fall and kill myself. I know you can do it, I believe you. Jesus said to him, so let go of that branch. But what a fool I am to kill myself. Various attractions came to the town for the pilgrimage. Among them is a rope climber. They built two tall poles and stretched a rope high between them. He climbed up and walked the rope back and forth. People were gathering below and clapping. When there were more and more of them, the artist had a wheelbarrow pulled up and went back and forth with it. The number of people kept increasing, and their admiration for the rope climber grew.

The artist had two sacks of potatoes on his wheelbarrow and walked high between the pillars. Sure and safe. When the applause of the spectators below the rope died down, he called out to them: “Do you believe that I would carry each of you safely to the other end?“ Everyone below shouted, “We believe!“ transport from one end to another.“ There needed to be one to follow the challenge. How easy it is to stand and call. But how difficult it is to enter into the arms of Jesus and let yourself be transferred from the old to the new life, how easy it is to call but not act. That is not the faith and devotion of a poor widow. Let’s take the example of the poor widow home today, surrender ourselves completely and unconditionally to God, and start trusting him.