The cold and wet weather of fall brings to mind a newlywed couple who found themselves stranded on a remote country road. Unable to go any further, they left their car and set out on foot toward a dimly lit farmhouse. An elderly couple met them at the door with a kerosene lamp. Explaining their predicament, the young man asked, “Could you put us up for the night? Any place on the floor or the couch would be just fine with us.”
As he was speaking, a few grains of rice slipped from the young lady’s hair and fell to the floor. The elderly couple looked at each other and said, “By all means, you can have the guest room. Get your things from the car while we freshen it up a bit for you.”
The next morning the newlyweds got up early, not wishing to disturb the old couple. They dressed quietly, put twenty dollars on the dresser, ventured into the living room and found the wife on the couch and her husband in his easy chair sound asleep. They had given the newlyweds their only bedroom.
For me, that story is a modern illustration of the widows in today’s readings. Like them, the elderly couple gave from their meager resources. The couple and the widows gave generously, joyfully and quietly.
The readings invite us to ponder how we give. It has been said that there are three kinds of givers. Those who say, “I hate to give.” Those who say, “I ought to give.” And those who say, “I want to give.” So, which are you? Do you give reluctantly? Do you give dutifully? Or do you give gladly?
You might be moaning, “There goes Father again, talking about money.” Actually, I am talking about more than that. I am talking about stewardship, which reflects how we relate to God. Once you personally choose to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, stewardship is not an option; it is the way of life for those who follow Christ for the sake of experiencing the kingdom of God. Our basic sense of who we are and what we are about in this world ought to be shaped by this mission.
Stewardship is about giving of ourselves, that is, our treasure, time and talent for the sake of building up the kingdom of God. How readily do you give of your time to God in worship and daily prayer? How willingly do you give of your time to family, friends, those in need and your parish? Just as he noticed the widow’s generosity, Jesus notices our generosity.
If your giving is less than it should be, less than that of the widow or the elderly couple, than perhaps Jesus is prodding you to experience a new approach to giving. The readings should inspire us to think and act. They should encourage us to assist those in need and approach giving of our time and resources with a spirit of openness. Years ago, I read, “It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.”
I also read that the average Catholic continues to gives the same amount while the average Protestant gives the same percent of their income. Does that ring true for you? I suspect what lies beneath our reluctance to share thankfully is the fear that if we let go, there won’t be enough left for us. Like the widow in our first reading, we question that God will provide for our needs.
Both widows made what could be called a leap of faith, giving from their substance, unlike the scribes who gave from their surplus. They ultimately trusted in God. The first one used up the last of her flour and oil to bake a cake for Elijah, the other widow gave her last two coins to the treasury, walking away empty-handed. Neither gift was much but yet they were generous because they were sacrificial. Their stories testify to the belief that God can and does bring much out of little. When we put our money where our heart is, we will see the value of stewardship.
The radical message of today’s readings and of stewardship is that we are encouraged to place our confidence in God rather than in our material possessions. Everything we do should be informed by a basic sense of who our God is and how God is involved in our lives.
Stewardship is an opportunity to share our gifts of treasure, time and talent with God and our faith community. Stewardship is what we do after saying, “I believe.” Like marriage or parenting, stewardship is a joyful expression of the love we have been given by God and that we lovingly return to God. With our stewardship pledge, we give back to God a portion of the gifts we have received. Stewardship is living out our commitment to be Christ-centered instead of self-centered, following the example of the widows and placing our trust in God to care for us always.