This has been a stressful week, so I think we’ll begin with a little joke. Two men were shipwrecked and marooned on a deserted Island. One man paced through the sand, scared and worried. Over and over again he cried, “We are going to die! “ His friend, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed. He just sat back against a palm tree, sunning himself.

The first man said to the second man, "How can you be so calm? You know we can’t get off of this island! Aren’t you afraid that we are about to die?"

"No," said the second man, “Look man…..I make $100,000 a week and tithe ten percent of my salary to my church every single week. If my wife doesn’t find me……I guarantee you, my Pastor will!”

Tithing is an uncomfortable topic for most of us. But today I am going to tackle it anyway and ask how you give. Notice, I didn’t say “How much do you give?” I asked “How do you give?” We just heard the familiar story of the “widow’s mite” in which Jesus observed the poor woman place two small coins in the temple collection. He praised her saying that her gift was worth more than all of the fat cats who had come before her. They came in their fine robes and made a big show with their large donations. The widow came without fanfare or recognition. All she wanted was to give of herself. Her offering, as small as it was, was worth much more because it came from her heart.

You know, every contribution, whether it is dollars, time or talent must be tied to the heart. Jesus sees into the hearts of people and knows their situations. He knows what we have and what things we value. And many times those most fortunate are extremely generous. When you look throughout history at the great philanthropists you can see the good that they have done. However, the folks who give small amounts are important also. In fact, they may actually be giving more. God doesn't judge the gift by its size, but its sincerity and generosity of heart.

Now, back to our story of the widow. This story doesn’t tell us that we must give everything we own. We know that generosity is not just about almsgiving. It can also involve giving of time and talent. So, once again, it is not how much you give…rather, it is HOW you give. God sees and will reward those who serve their neighbor and the poor. God sees and will reward those who work and serve in their Parish. In just a couple of weeks the Archbishop will award the Christ the King medal to individuals in recognition of service to each Parish. Many wonderful people here at St. Matthew’s have received this honor in the past. I am proud to say that this year’s recipient is Ms. Christine Falls. Congratulations, Christine, and most importantly, THANK YOU! You know, I wish I could give out a dozen of these medals every year! We have so many who help to keep this Patrish strong. So, the message for today is that we need to develop the spirit that prompted the widow to do what she did. We need to live our lives with God at the center. We should realize that everything we have is a gift from God and as such.... everything really belongs to Him.