FUTURE OF PEACE
In today's Gospel of Luke we read, "This
poor widow... from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood" (Lk
21:3-4). As we hear this story, we realize that Jesus is watching people as
they make donations to the Temple treasury. Some wealthy donors make generous
gifts, but Jesus praises the poor widow who gives only two small coins. She
has, in effect, given her life, whereas the wealthy have given only their extra
resources.
This morning I read some facts in a commentary
and would like to share them with you: Nearly a billion people who entered the
twenty-first century are unable to read or sign their names. Eighty percent of
the human race lives in poverty, and twenty-one thousand children a day die of
it - that's one child every four seconds. One-half of humanity has no access to
clean water. Twelve million children don't have access to schools and more than
half of them are girls. Less than one percent of the world's budget for weapons
could put every one of these children in the classroom.
While these statistics can be numbing, they
are also a call to respond with generosity and justice. Yes! Let us hear the
call to invest in the common good and a future of peace! Here are some
questions to ponder on today:
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Who are the unlikely people that have impacted your life?
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Who are those invisible ones whose wisdom has led you in the right direction?
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Who are those sacrificing ones that have given their lives and resources for
the common good?
Let us thank God for their gifts!