The commercial below depicts the common problem of feeling overwhelmed by the all of the need we see around us. There is so much neediness, yet we don’t have sufficient resources to help in every effort or to donate to every worthy cause.
The commercial rightly concludes that we can address this feeling by doing. In other words, while we cannot do everything, we can surely do something. What that “something” is requires discernment. What are my gifts? What are the needs I am best positioned to help with? What is my state in life (married or single, parent with young children or empty-nester, wealthy or poor)? What is my natural demeanor (patient, energetic, organized, creative)?
I don’t have all of the gifts; you don’t have all of the gifts; but together we have all of the gifts.
Sometimes the sense of being overwhelmed is God’s way of tapping us on the shoulder and asking us, “What do you have?” “Five loaves and two fish, but what good is that?” (see John 6:9). Jesus simply says that we should bring them, bring what we have. Even little things can mean a lot; they can make a big difference. Lots of little things add up to a lot.
Thank you Msgr Charles. And, if I may, here’s another way of putting it.
The Widow’s Two Mites – Luke 21:1-4
1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Someone once said, “It ain’t truly giving unless it hurts!”
Perhaps that should apply to all of us – whether we give of our time or our money.
“But I’ve only got a dollar or a pound – or just one hour – left over this week!”
So? It’s ‘left over’ – so it is ‘to spare’ . . . . !!
She gave all she HAD! Shouldn’t we all try to give all we have ‘to spare’?
Dear Lord, help me – and us all – to do that.
And – God bless all.
PS To put Jesus’ words about the widow into proper perspective, I would invite you to read his preceding words in Luke 20, which show how the widow probably came to be in her state of poverty in the first place! Here’s the link:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2020:45-47
Something we all have to guard against . . . . . .
Great article Monsignor. Poor St. Andrew, you could at least given him credit for his only speaking part in the Gospel.
I just wish the elephant in the room would be addressed in this kind of media or any political campaign that concerns socio-cultural ills. Ultimately, the vast majority of these problems (not all, though) can be traced to family unit (mom-dad-kids-together) dis-integration. It’s my opinion that this comes from a devaluation of Judeo-Christian influence and practice. It is ironic that the answer to this problem is a Judeo-Christian response.