The truth about giving to the church

Way back in the days when I was still little in the Philippines, whenever I go to the church every Sunday, I would regularly drop a few coins to the tray of the church as it is being passed towards the end of the aisle. Before I go to church,I had to make sure that my coins are already placed on my right pocket so that it won't be hard to get my money for the offering. My mom told me that if I give to the church, later, God will answer my prayers that's why I was so eager to ask my dad for coins every Sunday. My mom is an active CWD member at the church so after the mass, I would always stay with them after the mass and see how much money the tray have collected for a particular Sunday. Every Sunday is no surprise to me at all for the tray was always filled with all coins with a few ten peso bills.

Then, one day I read the story of an old woman/widow in Mark 12:41-43

The temple was big and beautiful. The people draw here to worship God. Inside the temple are big money boxes where people put money inside it to worship God.

Then, one day Jesus was sitting across one of the money boxes. He saw many rich people put in lots of money. All of a sudden there was an old woman put two coins into the money box which worth less than a penny.

Then, Jesus told his friends that the old woman has given more money than  the rich people for the old woman gave all the money she had and there was no money left for her at all while the rich people only gave a part of what they have.

The story of the old woman teaches invaluable lessons that giving to the church should bubble up from the bottom of our hearts and not from recognition which loses its value. Also, the old woman showed us her great faith and generosity to God from the moment she put her last two coins into the box, she surrendered totally to God that He may provide her mercy and grace. Sometimes, it makes me think that it is impossible for men to do such generosity nowadays because we rather place big money on our clothing,gadgets, and other form of lifestyles whereas we only put small money at the foot of the church. It really seems that we worship the things on earth and not our God.

These are where we place our big money on.

But it's not yet too late!  We can still make a difference right now. We should turn the world into the true  generous giving which bubbles from the heart and not from mere recognition nor from selfish desires.

"Giving is the lesson had emphasized,
In the statements written of a wise,
If not satisfied do not criticize,
Give yours that are of your side."

                                  

                                     - Mr. Felix Pineda

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