Daily Reflection _ love doesn't calculate


LOVE DOESN'T CALCULATE
A real giving must come from the heart. A gift given out of love with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice is precious to God.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
A great gift that we can give one another is the joy of selfless giving and love for others. True love doesn't calculate: it spends lavishly! Jesus Christ drives this point home to His disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people offering their tithes. Jesus praises a poor widow who gives the smallest of coins. Why does He praise this action? The answer is very simple: love is more precious than gold or wealth! Jesus teaches that real giving must come from the heart. A gift given out of love with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice is precious to God.
Today's responsorial psalm identifies strong Christians as "the people who long to see [the Lord's] face." Christians who are ready to "ascend the mount of the Lord" show this readiness by hands unstained by sin, by cleanness of heart, and by a determination to refuse "what is vain" (Ps 24:3-4). The poor widow in our Gospel story today might be seen as such a person.
Today the Church honors St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. The Passion of St. Cecilia is a narrative of her sufferings. In it she is extolled as a perfect example of Christian womanhood, having embraced virginity and undergone martyrdom for the love of Christ Jesus. She also lived by following the Corporal Works of Mercy, deeds that have to do with bodily care, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, tending to prisoners, sheltering the homeless, and visiting the sick.
Today, in memory of all Christian martyrs and all those who give with joy in acts of selfless love and compassion, may we practice a work of mercy to someone who is in need this week.

Lời Chúa Tuần 34 Thường Niên