The widow’s mite

Today the readings of the Mass present to us two widows. In the first reading a widow from Elijah’s time and in the Gospel a widow going to the temple. Widows had a hard life, with no husband to look after them, and it was especially tough if they didn’t have grown up children. Both were generous, giving out of their poverty the last resources they had. And both got much more than what they expected. Elijah’s widow was going to die with her son and received food for the whole year. The widow in the temple was praised by Jesus for just two copper coins. Maybe she found a fortune when she went back home.

Jesus sat with his disciples in the temple opposite the treasury, looking at the people bringing their donations, some of them putting in a lot of money. It was a big show, watching the rich Jews carrying big bags of gold and silver coins, dropping them into the treasure, hearing the metal sound of the coins going down the hole. The temple treasury was situated in a highly visible location, to encourage people to be generous. We love showing off, drawing attention to our good deeds. But nobody noticed a poor widow dressed in black, who dropped in only two little copper coins, without making any sound. Only Jesus knew of her generosity, because he can look into the depths of our hearts. When she was leaving without drawing attention to herself, Jesus called his disciples and gave them a graphic lesson, pointing out to them her heroic deed.

The rich gave to God their left overs; the poor widow gave everything she had. Jesus was moved by her generosity, and told his disciples that she had put in more than all of them together. The rich had their reward on earth; the poor widow had her’s waiting in heaven. Saint Josemaria says: “Didn’t you see the light in Jesus’ eyes as the poor widow left her little alms in the temple? Give him what you can: the merit is not in whether it is big or small, but in the intention with which you give it.”

We win Jesus’ heart through our generosity. There is an old saying that God is won over by the last coin. The Kingdom of God is priceless but at the same time it costs whatever you have down to the last penny. If the bottle of wine is not full, the air turns the wine into vinegar. We came to this world naked, without anything, and we are going to leave in the same way. You cannot take anything with you unless you give it to God. What you give to God you’ll find it in the other life; if you keep it you lose it.

God always asks first. It puzzles us, thinking that he has everything and he should be the one offering his graces to us, instead of being the one always asking things from us. He wants to give himself to us, but first we need to make room for him. The more we give, the more we get. Mother Teresa used to say: “You have to give till it hurts. Then you’ll be happy.” We cannot outdo God in generosity. Once a beggar asked Alexander the Great for alms. He commanded to make him Lord of five cities. The beggar was dumbstruck: “I didn’t ask for so much.” Alexander answered: “You ask as you are; I give as I am.” He was great, great was his generosity. We are like little children who carry in their pockets their treasures: a piece of glass, a stone, a broken figurine. Even though we don’t have much in comparison with what God has to offer, we are attached to our little coins. Give them to Jesus as the poor widow did.

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