+ With this simple statement: "this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury" – Jesus, by his comment about her, leveled the playing field for all who are trying to do what would please God very much! What impressed him so, were the amazing trust, love and generosity that this poor woman demonstrated in giving God absolutely everything she had – she held back nothing even what was directly related to her livelihood. God was very pleased with her contribution and thereby let us know that he would also be very pleased with a similar one from us – most especially the poorest among us – who have only a moderate to meager amount to live on and to give – but whose hearts and faith are large – and whose trust level is high!
Jesus does not condemn the rich who dump large amounts into the treasury – mostly for the show of it – sure, the money can be used for good purposes – and because they followed the dictates of the law, the rich will be credited for their contributions; but the truly lasting and favored donations are the seemingly insignificant ones that are made by the lowly poor who give from the soul because they believe it will somehow work out in the end!
The widow gathering sticks in the first reading from the Book of Kings was also poor, and she and her son were about to die. But when Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, asked her to bake him a loaf of bread, she trusted what he had to say, that she and her son would not die if she trusted enough to make the bread just for him. She did. He ate. And then at his invitation, they ate. And there was enough flour and oil to supply her need for a very long time. This of course is a prophecy of the very gospel passage that we read today: I doubt very much if the widow in the gospel passage went hungry either: when one puts God first in one's life things do work out – eventually – and oftentimes even miraculously!
In both cases, the rich and the poor – God wants the devotion, loyalty and commitment from hearts, to surrender entirely to him, so that he can use the person possessing the heart as he wills to make the lives of others better! So that we can be like Elijah, sent to encourage someone who thinks they are on their last measure of flour and oil; so that we could encourage all to receive the gift of Jesus who was sent to multiply his very Eucharistic Body and Blood throughout the ages – never letting its available supply run dry - so that no one would go spiritually hungry as they travel hand in hand with their brothers and sisters throughout this world into the eternal life of the next!
Rejoice in the Lord always; the Lord, who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, who sets captives free – forever!
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