My "Two Cents" About Two Cents

Luke 21:1-4

“When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

I’ll never forget the first time my baby “shared” his food with me. I think at some point we’ve all been offered a slobbery cracker or two and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. I don’t need his cracker, but the fact that he cares enough to share with me the only cracker he has is priceless. It’s kind of like the baby way of saying “I love you.” In the same way, God doesn’t need us to give or do anything for Him. He’s God, if He wants a cracker he’ll get it for himself J, but He gets so much joy from our offering which is our human way of saying “I love you.” I wish I could say there haven’t been many times I have failed to share my talents or my treasure because I have judged them to be inadequate, but  I can’t. This morning we went to Mass in my husbands hometown and it’s the second time we’ve been there in the last month that they haven’t had a piano player. A very talented cantor has done it alone, but I couldn’t help but think while I was there that surely there was someone in that parish that could play the piano!  But I bet, just like me, they have a voice whispering “but I’m not very good” or “I could only help so little it wouldn’t be worth it”. That voice that whispers those things is not the voice of truth, but rather the opposite. The voice of truth so clearly tells us in the gospel of Luke that the one who gives what they have, no matter how small, pleases her King.

Father, you know my heart and you know my love for you. Help me to give what I have, no matter how small it feels to me. Help me use the gifts I’ve been given to give you glory and let the love in my heart show in my offerings. Give me the faith of the widow, so I can give ALL that I have. Amen.