Pop quiz: Do you remember who said, “Why wasn’t that sold and the money given to the poor?”
Hi everyone, this is Father Rocky with another story about the Holy Eucharist as we all prepare for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17th through the 21st, 2024.
Who said, “Why wasn’t that sold and the money given to the poor?”
That’s in the Gospel of John, chapter 12. Jesus is at a dinner and a woman named Mary comes in and she takes an alabaster jar with a very precious perfume inside, called nard. She breaks open the vessel and pours it all on Jesus. Well, the Apostles were there and Judas piped up. “Why wasn’t that sold and the money given to the poor?”
John notes that he really didn’t care about the poor, he was a thief: He put the money in his pocket. But it begs the question, because Judas said it was worth 300 days’ wages. What would that be worth today? Well, let’s assume minimum wage is $20.00 an hour. If you work 8 hours a day, that’s $160. If you work 300 days in a year, that’s $48,000. So, about $50,000.
Is that too much to spend on a chalice for Jesus? Is that too much to spend on a monstrance for Jesus? People spend that kind of money all the time on cars or weddings or high-end trips. The point is, we want to give the very best we can for Jesus because you can’t outdo God in generosity. He always pays us back.
And what does Jesus really want from us? More than anything else, He just wants a little bit of our time.
And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the people who showed up for Jesus in Indianapolis last summer: 65,000. Thank you, and be sure to watch for another Eucharistic Encounter next week, and may God bless you!
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