When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
We tend to be among the wealthy who give only what is comfortable and convenient to give. Such gifts are important and make a real difference. But as they do not cause us any great difficulty they don't necessarily do much to help us grow in the Kingdom. We don't necessarily have to be poor or even poor in spirit to make such contributions. That said, let us continue to give such gifts, motivated by generosity, by concern for the Church and whatever over things we support with our charity.
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;
We celebrate the Little Way of Therese, making little acts of great love. But what we don't always realize is that these little acts can draw more from us than some large gifts that are easily given. Because little acts seem to have little impact we become less willing to perform them, especially when the cost to us individually seems so great. What we discover is that God is not so much asking for all of our money, but rather, all of our hearts. He doesn't seek our livelihood so that we will be left with nothing. He seeks it so that we can be fully given over to his Kingdom.
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."
What we are meant to realize is that in the economy of the Kingdom it isn't the size of the gift that matters. It is the faith, hope, and love that underlies the gift that has the power to transform the world. For worldly means to solving problems eventually breaks against the massive and intractable scale of the problems. But love never fails. Let us ask God to allow us to trust him enough that we are able to give of ourselves, not just our surplus. We may be tempted to compare our offering with that of others. So let us learn to see things through the eyes of Jesus who recognized in the gift of the widow "more than all the rest".
Please test your servants for ten days.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
This was the sort of self-offering that probably seemed so trivial as to not matter that much. But Daniel and the others fully invested themselves in it, sensing that God had called them to do so. And since they sought God's will above all they received all else besides.
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed
...
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
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