FAITH THAT ACTUALLY SEEN FROM ACTIONS OR WORKS OF LOVE.

FAITH THAT ACTUALLY SEEN FROM ACTIONS OR WORKS OF LOVE.

The widow at Zarephath was willing to GIVE BREAD FROM HIS LACK to the prophet Elijah.

 The poor widow who put the offering into the treasury was praised by Jesus because the widow gave of her lack.  The Widow of Zarephath and the Poor Widow are examples of believers who imitate Jesus Christ who was willing to lay down His life for the salvation of the world.

 These two widows who are both poor give up what they need in life to help others who need them more.  They give willingly without expecting any appreciation or praise or reward.  we must always be ready to help anyone who is always in need, even if we have to sacrifice something that we really need.  For the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward from God (Mark 12:14).

 Giving something to others in need, when we ourselves are also in need, is NOT EASY.  But herein lies the VALUE OF GIVING.  The value of that gift becomes REALLY HIGH, BECAUSE WE GIVE FROM WHAT WE NEED, NOT WHAT WE DON'T NEED.  We give from our lack and not from our abundance.  We ourselves want to use the item, but because for the sake of others we help, we let it go.  Here is the role of our hearts that are willing to sacrifice.

 There are people who give donations / donations in fairly large amounts but the amount is nothing compared to their wealth.  He gave out of excess, so in it there was no element of sacrifice and therefore became less valuable in the eyes of Jesus.  So the value of giving someone who gives a lot is NOT necessarily more meaningful than someone who gives a little.  This also means that THE ACTION OF GIVING ALSO DOES NOT DEPEND ON WHETHER PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OR LITTLE.  One should not think that because he does not have much he does not need to give anything to the church.  Giving means that there is an ASPECT of SACRIFICE in it.

 In addition, Jesus saw that the value of a gift lies not in the amount, but in the heart of the person who gave it.  How is our mood BEFORE giving alms, WHEN/TIME to give alms, and AFTER giving alms.  Before giving, we should not give out of necessity.  When we give, don't let us give with regret.  After giving, lest we make our alms/gifts an excuse to demand too much or demand various things or start doing calculations.

 My brethren, Be like the widow of Zarephath and the poor widow who dedicated her whole heart to God through our good works to others.  That is what pleases Him.

The resurrection of the dead throughout Israel's history has always been an interesting debate. What is life after death?

The resurrection of the dead throughout Israel's history has always been an interesting debate. What is life after death?

The resurrection of the dead throughout Israel's history has always been an interesting debate.  Some groups of Jews believed in a resurrection but some Sadducees did not or did not believe in a bodily resurrection.  They also do not believe in angels and spirits, much less in the resurrection after death.  This unbelief is the context of their question to Jesus.  They imagine life after the resurrection as much as life today.  And their question is very relevant with regard to the law of the levirate.

 This question becomes our question in general, namely how life after death.  We believe and believe that there is a resurrection and eternal life.  But as to how exactly or how the resurrection technique was, we can only speculate.  In line with the question of the Sadducees, nowadays what often becomes our debate is what about people who have died and are not buried, but cremated.  Anxiety thought of many people is one of the issues of bodily resurrection.  If his body was destroyed, how would he in time get up again, using whose body?

 The Church believes that God's power is far beyond our debates like that.  God has ways and ways that we can never understand.  As Jesus answered, the resurrection after death is an entirely new resurrection or life, with a new body, together with the angels.  Because our God is the God of the living, not the God of the dead.

 The dialogue between Jesus and the Sadducees shows a debate between human law, in this context the law of Moses and God's own law.  The Mosaic Law spoke of the prohibitions and taboos on what the Jews could and could not do.  The benchmark is a matter of can and can't.  Such a law turns out to be different from the new law brought by Jesus.  The benchmark is not what is allowed or not, but what is more important is the open heart to God's will.  What is clear is that God's law requires His people to have life, not death.  While the law of Moses mostly made people die.

 We as humans, as part of society, live by mutually agreed rules and laws.  Obedience to existing laws is one of the virtues that must always be fought for.  Don't let us become pioneers in breaking the law.

 Today Jesus reminds us to be able to wisely judge about the law, whether the law gives life or kills someone.  In this regard, the Church has had a change of attitude with regard to laws.  One of the most recent is the simplification of the marriage annulment process.  What we want to strive for is so that more and more people can live with these changes, not that their lives will be turned off.  May we also dare to look more closely, not the law of death that we carry but the law of life.

"Master, what must I do, to have eternal life?" so asked a rich young man (Mark 10:17-30

"Master, what must I do, to have eternal life?" so asked a rich young man (Mark 10:17-30

According to Jesus, the first way: Obeying God's Commandments (10 Commandments), this first method must be complemented by the second way: Following Jesus in life, because Jesus is the way to eternal life;  However, this second method needs to meet 2 conditions, namely:

1.  trusting themselves sincerely in God's guidance where people are challenged to break free from attachments to personal desires and desires: money, place, people, position/position (worldly things).  Attachment in any form that is only temporary in nature, often shackles people and makes it difficult to let go and often leads people away from happiness.  All our hearts and minds are primarily for God and not for other things that can shift God's position in our hearts and minds.
2. triving to live the Word of God in our daily life. As humans, we often act like the young man Jesus told about in today's Gospel.  The young man was so attached and preferred to follow the call of earthly treasures than to follow the call of heavenly treasures.  We too often find it difficult to separate our hearts from our possessions to follow Jesus, the Owner of Everything.  For example, we find it difficult to leave our favorite android cellphone for only one hour to pray the Rosary or personal prayer.  We are so attached to money, wealth, position, our hobbies, even worse, we have the heart to sacrifice other people to get the property and wealth we want.

 Wealth has turned people's hearts into greed and blocked the way to meet God.  Humans no longer really believe in God, but more strongly believe in material wealth that brings flattery, praise and honor.  Are we more sensitive to the call to hunt for earthly riches or to hunt for heavenly treasures?  Do we dare to let go of our wealth and share it with others or is the worry of losing worldly possessions very strong in our hearts if we want to share with others?

 Furthermore, the disciples' questions sometimes also become our questions: What about us who have left everything and have tried to sacrifice to follow Jesus, whether the sacrifice of time, energy, thoughts or property?  Are there any advantages that we get?  Maybe we also compare our lives with other people who seem to sacrifice a little, but get name, praise and appreciation?  It can be painful for us.

 But Jesus explained that all sacrifices for God will surely be rewarded (verse 30).  Those who have to lose something because of following Christ, will receive a double reward in exchange for all the losses suffered.  God does not turn a blind eye to all that.  God sees, notices and appreciates all of it.  He does not neglect those who have sacrificed everything to follow the One who has it all.  What we need to pay attention to is that the sacrifice of time, energy, thought, and property in serving others should not be based on the shadow of the award we will receive from God.

 Do our service as a form of gratitude and our gratitude to Him, who has trusted us and who has given us the opportunity to do good serving Him in our fellow human beings.

 My brethren, today's Gospel invites us to repent and dare to break away from absolute attachments to money, wealth, position, pleasures and worldly pleasures that often keep us from the Owner of Everything and live eternally with him in the Kingdom of God.