This story is no doubt one of the most beautiful stories in the New Testament and the most attractive aspect of it is that it is a true story. Throughout his ministry Jesus always sees beyond people’s behaviour into the motivation of their heart. In today’s gospel the piety of the scribes and Pharisees did not convince Jesus,because it was all show. But what the widow did when she put her two small coins in the treasury was genuine and done for God. Jesus not only judges actions, but attitudes, not only outward behaviour but whatmis done with the heart. Sometimes we tend to equate Christianity with doing certain actions, we say our prayers, we go to mass and then we think were great followers of Jesus, but we need to look at our attitudes and motivations. When it comes to giving of our time, out money or ourselves what is our basic motivation. Real giving must be sacrificial.  It’s not the size of the gift but the sacrifice and effort. I remember a story about Bishop Fulton Sheen, who was an American Bishop in the Diocese of Illinois, who passed away in 1979. He was noted for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. On one occasion he was appealing for donations for a charitable cause, someone sent him a cheque $2000, he sent it back with a note stating that  when you want to give something that is really a sacrifice for you I will accept it.  In our giving to God do we really make an effort? When it comes to participating in our Church as ministers of the Eucharist, readers, collectors, or when it comes to helping out with different committees, etc, is it not always the same few who are doing everything?  Yet we say the Church belongs to everyone and we all want to reap the benefits from our Church. The story of the death of a parish. Very few of us can read this story in the gospel today without shame. Real giving has certain recklessness about it. The woman could have kept one coin. One of the great tragedies of our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ is that some part of our lives, some part of our activities, some part of ourselves that we do not give to Christ. It’s a strange and lovely thing that the person who the Bible and Jesus hand down to history as a pattern of generosity was a person who gave a penny. Sometimes we feel we have not much in the way of material gifts or personal gifts to give to Christ.  If we put all that we have at his disposal, all he asks of us is to do our best and to give with the heart.