By Eldho Augustine csc –
Readings: Tob 12: 1, 5-15, 20; Mk 12: 38-44
‘Love God!’ This seems easy, but ‘Love your neighbor!’ is harder. ‘Love yourself!’ is alien to today’s Gospel. But there is a healthy self-love that acknowledges God’s creative love in ourselves.
The gospel of the day teaches us the importance of sharing and offering ourselves through loving God and neighbor simultaneously. The world is suffering due to the ongoing covid19 pandemic, and more so in our country. People with no money are starving and find it difficult to meet their daily needs. A few others are leading a comfortable life while their neighbors are suffering due to sickness and lack of food. How can we reach out to them? We do not need to give money to help people; rather we can give them whatever we have, may be food, time,
consolation, or even some words of hope and love. We can pray for them and find out how they are overcoming this pandemic.
How much we give does not matter in the eyes of God but the mentality with which we give or share. God sees all that we are, all that we do, and all that we say. Let us be sensitive to the people who are around us and allow ourselves to be judged by God himself. Let us continue to pray for the people who are infected and affected by this corona virus.