In that time, Jesus turned his eyes to see the rich putting offerings in the temple treasure. He saw also a poor widow deposit two small coins. He said: “In truth I say to you that this poor widow offered more than all. For all these deposited, as an offering made to God, that which they had in reserve. But this widow, in her poverty, offered all she had to live.”

Jesus marvels at the gesture of this widow that deposited as offering all that she had to live! This gesture makes me look at my life and see how I have lived in the area of my giving of myself to God, how have I lived my consecration of life. The gesture of this widow comes to teach me not to have fear of abandoning myself entirely in turning all that I have and am in the hands to the Lord.

Abandoning is to be free; this was the sentiment that I saw upon reading this passage. I think that it was this that Fr. Jonas lived when this gesture of abandoning was born in his music. “I give all to you, nothing left of me, free I remain to love my God, all he asks of me, nothing I deny you, today I am happy as I have you my God.”

I will only completely free, when all that there is in me as thoughts, feelings, will, dreams, projects…when all is in the hands of the Lord, when my will is the will of the Lord.

Lord, I don’t want to give only a part of my life, only that which I have in reserve, I want to give all my poverty in order that you may be my only riches. Amen.

Rita de Cássia de Jesus Dias (Ritinha)

Translated from Portuguese