Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
(Sirach 35:1-12; Mark 10:38-31)
The Book of Sirach has been called ‘Ecclesiasticus,” which
means the Church’s book. For centuries
it was read in church for the many moral guides that it gives. Today’s reading provides a taste of its
teaching. It encourages its readers to
pay tithes to the assembly (in Christian times, read “church”) joyfully.
However, the text rejects greed. The reader is told that if he or she tries to
bribe the Lord, the money would not be accepted. A bribe would specify a condition for making
an offering, a “tit-for-tat.” No, people
should give freely to the needy, be they poor people or the church, and expect
nothing more than God’s love. Those with
true faith realize that God’s love is more than enough payment.
Although sometimes we think of ourselves as individualists,
we need one another. We certainly need
the Church as well. The Church corrects
misconceptions about God and encourages us to keep praying. Its existence depends on the material support
of its members. It may not be necessary
to tithe or pay a tenth of our income to the Church. But in justice we owe its upkeep so that it
can provide needed services.
