True Wealth
In a quiet town, there lived a kind little girl named Emily. She loved going to the market with her mother and always admired the beautiful things being sold. One day, Emily saw a shiny toy she really wanted. She had saved up a few dollars, but it wasn’t enough to buy it.
That afternoon, Emily and her mom went to church. Emily saw a donation box at the entrance for helping people in need. She watched as some people dropped in large amounts of money, smiling as everyone noticed their contribution.
Then, Emily saw an elderly woman slowly walk up to the box. The woman searched her purse and took out a small handful of coins. They made only a tiny clink as they dropped into the donation box, and no one really paid attention.
But Emily noticed how the woman smiled and looked peaceful as she walked away. She thought about her own few dollars and the shiny toy she wanted. After a moment, Emily quietly walked over to the donation box and dropped in all her money, knowing that her small gift could still help someone in need.
Later, her mother told her the story of when Jesus praised a poor widow who gave two small coins at the temple. “Even though others gave more,” her mother said, “Jesus said the widow gave the most because she gave from her heart.”
Emily felt happy inside. She realized that true generosity isn’t about giving the most, but about giving with love. And though she didn’t get the toy, she felt richer than ever because she had given with her whole heart.
A children’s story based on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus praises the widow’s offering, teaching about true generosity and the value of giving from the heart, based on Mark 12:38-44.