Once upon a time a village on the main highway got tired of giving handouts to the travelers who came through. They resolved to hold onto what was rightfully theirs from now on. Three soldiers came into town one day. “Move on. We don’t give handouts,” the townspeople insisted. “Oh, we don’t need a handout,” said the soldiers. “We can make soup out of stones. All we need is a pot so and we’ll make some stone soup.” The villagers were intrigued about what stone soup might be so a large pot was produced which the soldiers proceeded to fill with water, some carefully selected stones from the nearby river and heat from a great roaring fire. As they stirred and tasted the townspeople watched. “What does stone soup taste like?” “Delicious,” came the reply. “If we just had a little salt it would be better.” One of the housewives ran to bring salt which the soldiers added to the soup. “How’s it coming?” “Be ready soon. We wish we had some potatoes, though, to thicken it up a bit.” “I have some potatoes,” said the barber, which he produced and they were gratefully added to the soup. The pot was bubbling away. “Is it soup yet?” “Coming along nicely. If we had some vegetables this soup would be great.” The grocer thought he could spare some vegetables so they were thrown into the stone soup as well. By now things were starting the smell good. The soldiers said to bring bowls and spoons for everyone. “If we had some meat we would could stretch the soup to feed all of you,” the soldiers said. “I have some meat,” said the butcher and it was added to the stone soup. Tables were set up and the entire town had a wonderful feast on the soup the soldiers had made… and all they needed to make it were some stones.
We’re here today to make some stone soup. We’ve got the stones, the basic elements of church: the word of God, the sacraments, the community here gathered, the prayers, the ministers. But these can be as lifeless as stones unless something of ourselves is added. For this mixture to have any flavor, any liveliness, any engagement then each one of us must add our own ingredients. If we hoard our own particular gifts, if we hold onto them, if we keep them for ourselves, then we will miss the great feast that God wants us to enjoy as the people of God. As the Bible teaches, God wants, God needs our two bits worth.
Look at the Scripture readings today. In the Old Testament book of Kings we hear of a pagan woman and her son from a Palestinian town. A foreigner, a Jew, came into her town and began to beg — give me water, give me bread. The woman answered, I have nothing but she became willing to put in her two bits worth. And we’re told that she then has enough and more than enough. The poor widow in the gospel of St. Mark “contributed all she had.” You can imagine the poor widow in the gospel saying, “These few cents are mine and I’m going to hold onto them. I can’t do any more than that.” But she doesn’t. She put in her two bits worth.
These lessons turn the ordinary way we think about the Church on its head. We drag ourselves to Mass on a Sunday after a full week because we want something – some consolation, some insight, some hope, some peace. We sit in the pew and think “Do me.” But that style of being Church does not work any more. The two widows suggest that we should instead be looking to put in our two bits worth… and I’m not talking about the collection. Each one of us, every Catholic, is responsible for doing their part, their two bits, to making this world look a little more like God intends it to be. Pope Francis calls that being missionary disciples. Church is not a filling station where we come for our personal respite but a transportation hub where we are sent out into our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools with a message of Good News. We must be spreading love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, forgiveness in whatever activity we undertake. And however many resources we have, our two bits worth are given to us by God so that we’ll be able to share with the people who have been woven into our lives, how good God is.
So where do I need to put in my two bits? As long as there is one member of my family that doesn’t know how much they are loved by God, I need to put in my two bits. As long as there are young people wasting their lives instead of developing their great potential, I need to put in my two bits worth. As long as there are the hungry, people who are homeless, people who are hurting, I need to put in my two bits worth. My two bits has something to contribute to ending war, racism, violence and injustice. My two bits must be used to protect these precious children are being bombarded by messages and values which make them doubt how precious they are just in being who they are. My two bits are meant to intervene when our elders have to choose between buying food or buying medicine. If one person feels unwelcome, alienated, or estranged in our midst, my two bits are needed. Being a Christian is not about what happens inside these four walls. Jesus did not come to give us something to do on Sunday but to change the world into a place of peace and joy. God has blessed each one of us with something, our two bits. It is yours and only yours alone. It might not seem like much to us but if we give it, if we lend an ear or a hand God will multiply it thirty, sixty or a hundredfold For you see, it’s only when we throw our very selves into the soup which is church that we taste the fullness of God’s gift.