September 2023 - No offering is too small for God to use

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full” (Mt 14:19b-20).

Have you ever felt as if you had little to offer, or perhaps that you wouldn’t be able to make an impact on the world? At times, we all dream of being an influential person who could make a big difference. But the truth is this: Even with the little we have to offer, we can do great things.

In the Gospel passage, we hear how God took something very small, five loaves of bread and two fish, and He turned them into enough food to feed thousands of people. (“Five thousand men, not counting women and children” Mt 14:21.)

This is, of course, a miracle that actually happened. The purpose of this miracle wasn’t just to feed the crowd who came to listen to Christ. It was a sign of the power of God to transform our daily offerings into great blessings for our world.

It’s not for us to determine how God uses our offering. Our only concern should be that we make an offering of all we are and leave the transformation process to God. Our offering may be small, and it may seem as if what we offer will have no benefit for others. For instance, offering up doing the dishes might seem like an act that will bear little good fruit. You might ask yourself, “What can God do with such a small, insignificant task?” The disciples could have asked the same question about the loaves and the fishes, but look at what Christ did with them!

We must try to trust that everything we offer up to God, no matter how small, will be used by God in a big way!

Think today about the small offerings that you can make. They could be small acts of sacrifice, love and forgiveness, or service. These small acts can have immeasurable value. Offer up these small acts today and leave the rest to God!

Father Aaron L. Damboise is pastor of the Parish of the Holy Savior in Rumford.