God is utterly self-giving love. We come to know that in the perichoresis of the Trinity, the circular dance of love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created us, each and all, in the divine image, the imago dei, expecting us to realize the joy and delight of self-giving in our own lives.

Christ Jesus became incarnate showing us what self-giving love would look like in the world we live in. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus points out the poor widow who offered “everything she had” to the service of God, “all that she had to live on,” obviously abandoning herself to the mercy of God, trusting that the divine purpose for her life would be fulfilled.

It takes a lot of living to get to that place in life, a lot of happiness and sadness, a lot of gain and loss, a lot of coming to know the reality of God’s love working in our lives day by day. As we grow in loving our neighbor, who may be family, friend, or foe, we begin to move from our initial self-centeredness to becoming more other-centered, noticing compassion arising in our hearts and desiring good for all creation. It becomes easier to respond to others with tender, loving care rather that reacting in fear, anger, self-defense. These changes seldom happen overnight. They are the result of the Beloved’s transforming, deifying, sanctifying love in our hearts and minds and spirits. As we find ourselves more open and willing to recognize God's loving presence in our lives, we are being prepared to offer all that we are, all that we have—EVERYTHING—to the Holy One in trusting love.