In our first reading today, Elijah asks what seems impossible of a widow: Please bring along a bit of bread.

She answered, As the Lord, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. 

We’ve all been there. Our pantry is empty, and telling the kids to make their lunches when all you have is ketchup and soy sauce won’t really work. But Elijah, because the Lord speaks through him, tells the woman, Do not be afraid. She gives all that she has, and the Lord blesses her for her generosity.

The Lord blesses her for her generosity. How often do we forget that and just get stuck in the daily grind? Years ago, I read a quote by St. Jose Maria Escriva: “The greatness of God lives at the level of ordinary things.” How much more ordinary can you get than changing diapers, meal planning, and cleaning the house, I thought?

It is so easy to fall into the temptation that prayer is where I should have a life-changing, profound experience. It is also easy to think it must be a sit-down, formal time between me and the Lord. I have wanted recently to talk about something, but I thought that my friends and my husband didn’t want to hear me complain anymore. I thought, “Well, I’ll just have to tell the Lord. He doesn’t really have much choice.” He wants to hear what’s on our hearts. Even muttering short prayers now and then during the day might be where we are right now. Prayer is life-changing, but it could be little by little.

In the Gospel, Christ tells us, For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.

Motherhood is draining. Oh my, it is draining. As mothers, we give everything that we have. The Lord asks, and we give it, without question. And he will bless us with his generosity, beyond our understanding, As the Lord had foretold through Elijah, with just our own bit of bread.