Jesus wants all that we have to give. Ian Peoples, SJ, reflects on how nothing is too small or unimportant to bring to the Lord. Based on the readings for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Jesus cares about your two cents.
Hi, I’m Ian Peoples, and this is my one-minute reflection.
For many years, I’ve recited a simple prayer: “Lord, without you, I am nothing.” This prayer reflects the truth that God is loving all of us into existence at every moment.
Praying this way transforms the way I look at people. It helps me remember the immense dignity God bestows on every person made in his image and likeness. Whether we are rich or poor, God wants our two cents.
In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us something similar. After warning against those in power who desire to be honored and to take seats in high places, he turns his attention to those gathered in the synagogue. His gaze rests on a poor widow who gives everything she has to the collection. This poor woman with her two cents is the person our Lord exalts.
Our joys and anxieties, no matter how small they may be, are never insignificant in Jesus’s eyes. When we bring these very things to the Lord, he gives us himself.
“Lord, without you, I am nothing. But with you, I have everything.” Amen.
