“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For… she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
During the offertory, you can observe how people put in their offering to the bag (or box or basket). A lady putting her twenty pesos unfolded. A man inserting his hand all the way through so no one may see how much he gave. Or children dropping coins (you would know it was coins because you can hear the “metal hitting metal” sound). And of course, there are people who would just close their eyes as the bag comes, hoping that prayers would be enough, and that God would understand.
And I know that God would understand – whether we give something or whether we just give ourselves during the mass. The one who is truly perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect is the one who gives all for the sake of others, in the name of Christ, with Him, and for His sake. Such a person is most truly living the spiritual life. What is important is that we put Jesus in our hearts, nurture Him and share that love with others as it overflows.
The spiritual person must share what he has with the poor. He must do so cheerfully and not reluctantly, secretly and not for the praise of men. He also must do so, as the poor widow in the gospel, not out of his abundance, but out of his need. One cannot give merely what is left over when all his own needs are satisfied. One must take from oneself and give to others.
“If there is among you a poor man, one of your brethren, in any of your towns within your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him, and lend him sufficient for his need, what ever it may be… You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him; because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work…you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor...” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
Panginoon, tulungan mo akong maging bukas-palad. Turuan mo akong maglingkod sa Iyo, na magbigay nang ayon sa nararapat. Na 'di naghihintay kundi ang aking mabatid, na ang loob Mo'y siyang sinusundan...
“The bread you store up belongs to the hungry…” - St. Basil the Great
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