Years ago at a Catholic school started in Manila, Philippines, the head of campus ministry began an outreach program for the students to participate in. This was unique since the school itself was an outreach to provide quality education to the underprivileged. Many students questioned the campus minister, “What do we have to give?”
The first service project of the students was to visit a hospital. It was a public hospital with many families who were very poor. The students brought themselves. They brought a piece of fruit, a hand made card, their smiles, their tears.
The results were amazing. After the outreach, one student commented to the campus minister, “I’ve only ever received! I never knew I had anything to give. I was so happy to give!”
We all have something to give
Jesus wasn’t interested in what the students gave to the people in the hospital. What interested him was their generosity. We all have something to give, but are we generous enough to give it? The lesson of the poor widow in today’s Gospel is the same: we all have something to give. Jesus wasn’t interested in the amount of money the poor widow gave. He did take note that she gave all that she had.
There are times when God seems to be asking us to give from our poverty, from the little or nothing that we have. This could be economic, or it could also be our time, our friendship, our health…whatever it is, we all have something to give. Be generous.
