REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel,

Quality versus Quantity

(Fr. Luis J. Tamayo)

In today’s gospel (Mc 12, 38-44) Jesus in the Temple observes how the rich people put a lot of money into the treasury, then a poor widow puts in only two coins. Then Jesus said: “this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.” Then you can ask yourself, how come she put in more than anybody else if she put in only two small coins? If we just count the quantity of coins, of course, the others were the ones who put in more than anybody else.

Then Jesus explains: “For they have all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."  Jesus explains that the rich put in a big quantity but form their surplus, but this poor widow, from her poverty, has contributed all she had.

The Gospel helps us to understand that what is important is not about quantity, but about quality.  The society in which we live is pushing us to a 'quantity mentality': lots of titles, certificates, lots of languages, lots of courses, lots of activities, and lots of toys… We all live running trying to reach the targets.  Then our kids live the same way than the adults, running trying to cope up with all the activities, studies, sports, piano, tennis, etc. but at the end they don’t take time to deeply appreciate and enjoy what they are doing.

Sometimes it seems we are afraid to stop, to slow down, and to rediscover what is the meaning of quality life, I mean, what is to do things slowly, taking the time to enjoy. Whatever you do, do it with quality, take your time to do it well.

The wisdom of old people says: “few things but well done”.

I have a friend that every night during the week she sets the table for dinner like any Sunday, all the family together and, of course!, no TV.  She told me “I don’t want to rush also at the end of the day, I don’t want the kids to have dinner at the kitchen in whatever way.  I want all my family together, to bless the dinner, to talk about everyone’s activities, and to give them time to listen to them”. I agree, it is not about how long we stay together, but how well we stay together.  It is about quality time.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola also said: “it is not about knowing much, but about realizing, or becoming aware and appreciating things interiorly, that 
fulfills and satisfies the soul”.

To feel satisfied, to taste or to appreciate any thing we do interiorly, we need to stop once for a while and to rediscover with new ayes the things we are doing.  How important is to be able to ask yourself what am I doing?, am I grateful for the things I do? Do I evaluate the positive things I do? And what about the negatives?

I had a companion in the Seminary that when he listened the calling to become a priest, his father told him: I will support you, but if you are not going to be a good priest leave it. The Church doesn’t need many priests but good and holy priests.   We can apply this to all of us: today the families don’t need whatever kind of parents, but a good dad and a good mom.

At the end of life, we all agree it is not about the quantity of years I lived, but on the quality life I had. And the question is: what brings true quality to our lives? The only answer is ‘Love’.  Love is the only thing that adds quality to our lives.

Yesterday I recalled an experience I had in the Philippines. I went to visit a very poor family. They didn’t expect me. When they saw me there, they were very happy and called the rest of the family. We sat down around the table to share and talk. And I saw how the mother was giving instructions to the young kid and he left the place running. Fifteen minutes later I had on the table, just for me, a coke, some rice, some chicken and fruits.

I was the only one I ate; the rest was staring at me. I knew they were so happy to serve me the best they had. But inside of me I knew that they will not have dinner that night; but not eating meant to reject their hospitability. The only thing I could do was to enjoy and to appreciate with them their generosity. They gave me everything they had; they gave me all their love.

When you experience this kindness you are not in a hurry, you want to stay and appreciate and be grateful for the love that the people puts in the things they do. It was not about the quantity of food they served me; it was about the quality of the love they gave me. A kind of love e that gave everything they had.