Monday 21 November

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Apocalypse 14:1-5; Ps 24; Matthew 21:1-4

Giving all

Jesus is saying that there are two things that determine the value of a gift: the spirit in which it is given, and the sacrifice it involves. What happens to us when the collection basket comes around? Do we look in our wallet and work out how much we have to spare? Or do you just empty your wallet?

The first reading could be read as only 144,000 perfect souls are saved. I draw comfort from an earlier passage (Apocalypse 7:9) that says there is a crowd in heaven too large to count. And maybe I should empty my wallet!