Reflection for Monday, November 21, 2011: Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (34th week in Ordinary Time).
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Authors
Schuler, Jeanne
Issue Date
2011-11-21
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Essay
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en_US
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Abstract
Free at Last||Money is a power in our world that takes many forms. We meet budgets, send aid, search for jobs, collect dividends, and confront the growing gap between rich and poor. My credit score sits next to my test scores as measures of my worth. Entering into my heart, I find expectations shaped by a capitalist world that I sometimes mistake for the only way the world could be. The financial crisis stirs up fear. What future will our children face? Our spirit shrinks with our retirement funds. Gravity gets the upper hand and grace retreats.|The widow was alone and vulnerable. She had very little to grasp. Yet she realizes how many blessings fill her life. Set free by gratitude, she digs into her meager rations to share her wealth with others. Her generosity was not designed to win favors from God or temple leaders. It was not simply adherence to the law. The widow knew a fullness missing from the grasping hands of those who never have enough. She knew abundance and her response was to share with others.|The wealth and income in many nations have been shifting upwards to a smaller group. Those in the middle are uneasy: what is going wrong? We grow cynical about leaders and politics becomes a dirty word. Into the debates enter the voices of young people with convictions that take them into the streets and parks to rally for change. A nation dedicated to the pursuit of justice can do much better. Like Daniel, they are not captivated by the trappings of power. They try to live simply and remember who they are. Perhaps, like King Nebuchadnezzar, their elders can recognize the wisdom they bring.
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University Ministry, Creighton University.
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These reflections may not be sold or used commercially without permission. Personal or parish use is permitted.
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Lectionary Number: 503