"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."
Luke 21:3-4
It is scary to us to think about giving all we have. Like, the thought of St. Francis giving away the very tunic from his back, makes us shudder. The idea of the poor widow giving the last two coins she has brings us up short. How could we do that? We need to take care of ourselves and our families! We, living in the land of plenty, have a hard time letting go because we have never really had to live without. Those who have experienced profound want have more of a realistic view of what is really essential...and it isn't cable TV. Jesus asks us today to take a serious look at what we have and what we give. In this season of Thanksgiving, it is an especially good time to take stock. We have so much and the more we have, the more we are asked to share. We have a tendency to want those we share with to be deserving, too, and that may not always be apparent to us. We want to know that what we give makes a positive difference in the receiver's life, not just buying them a bottle of whatever vice they have. Today in this reading, we are being taught to simply give....to give from our want, give without knowing where it is going, and give without thinking of ourselves. It's a tall order! Love, heidi
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