When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
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;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.
The peace of the Lord be with you. I was with a group of the Associates from the Daughters of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, and we were looking over one of the encyclicals by Pope Francis and this very scripture passage came up in our reading. Pope Francis uses the scripture to remind us that Jesus noticed the small details and made note of them. Sometimes the details really matter. In this particular case the detail of this poor woman putting in all she had is a reflection of her great love and confidence in God. Sometimes we must be cautious about getting wrapped up in the details and then other times it’s very important that we look closely at what we’re doing and understand why we’re doing it.
As we come to the end of this liturgical year and prepare for the season of Advent, perhaps it is a good time to think about the small details in our lives. Take a moment to express our gratitude for the little things that come our way that have made a difference and to seek God’s assistance in those areas where we need to grow. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.