The gospel for Saturday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time is taken from Mark 12th, chapter 38 to the 44th verse. In the course of his teachings, Jesus said, beware of the scribes who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation. He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, amen, I say to you. The poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury, for they have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she from her poverty has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood. Jesus says to us over and over again, there’s something so important about being poor, and it’s not about money. It’s about whether or not we feel that we have all that we need and do not need anything from God. It’s so easy to fall into the trap when life is easy and life is good.

But we must know that there comes a point always in life where we admit without God we are lost, we are empty, we are broke. We need Him. The Closing Prayer Father, we often grow closer to you in times when we’re not in control and cannot make things happen that we feel need to happen. Bless us in that time when we can grow in our understanding that nothing that we’re called to do can be as full and as rich as you intend. Without you, without your wisdom, without your grace, without your love. Help us depend more and more on you than ourselves, and we ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.