...just enough to get by [aka "beware the leaven of the Pharisees"

sometimes you just know ...
that you are in the right place...
at the right time...

for me, this last year or so...
the realization of the Divine Presence...
at work in my life...
has become almost surreal at times...
while still being very real...
and concrete...

when nearly every sermon...
seems to resonate in me...
on a personal level...
opening doors of understanding...

I find myself amazed and humbled...
not to mention inspired & enlightened...

since God put me at St John's in 2000...
[and make NO mistake...He put me there...
and has made it very plain since then...
that I was to stay there...]
He has blessed me with 3 different priests...
whose sermons have been well-written...
inspiring, convicting and scriptural...

today, at the noon Mass following the morning Bible study...
Fr. N spoke on the gospel lesson he had just read...
as a short, off-the-cuff sermon...

it was the story in Mark where Jesus...
after feeding the multitudes a couple of times...
from almost nothing tells the disciples...
who are with Him on a boat & have forgotten to bring bread...
"to beware the Pharisee's leaven"...
and goes on to speak of the "widow's mite"...

like many, I had always thought of how her gift was "better"...
than that of the rich men, because it was all she had...
and I knew how the "multitudes" were fed...

what I hadn't considered, was that the widow had given all that she owned...
and had no way to get more...
after considering the consequences...
just as the rich men had given all that was required...
[the leaven of the Pharisees]
also after considering the consequences...

they were rich because "they were careful"...
they followed the letter of the law...
because they feared God & enjoyed their status...
they were very pleased with themselves...

she was poor because she was a widow with no one to care for her...
she gave her last copper coins...
because she loved God & wanted to serve Him...
her concern was for pleasing God, not her own welfare...

the message I got from this small epiphany...
was that when we are careful to "take care of our needs"...
before we trust God, He can not provide the miracles...
that He would if we are "careful for nothing"...
and joyfully give Him all that we have & are...

the multitudes were fed because someone gave Jesus...
all they had...
He blessed the loaves & fishes, gave them to God...
and then there was plenty for all...

it was not the "letter of the law" observation...
that made the "leaven of the Pharisees" something to be avoided...
it was the implied self-reliance of not giving, all...
but rather, just enough to "look good" or satisfy the rules...
of not relying on God, but rather on yourself...

it's a trust/heart thing...

is your mind set in the spirit ?
or is it consumed with worldly things ?

can you trust the God who made the heavens ...
with it's stars, sun, moon and this incredible world...
to make order from the chaos of your small, frantic life...?
to provide all that you could need, if you will give Him all...?

do you give just enough of yourself to feel "good"...?
or are you ready to give everything...yes, everything...

He gave everything for us...

as the song goes...

"...I guess it all comes down to where your heart is...
it's there your thoughts & feelings all begin...
so if you never give your heart to Jesus...
you'll never really have a place with Him..."