Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Revelation 14:1-3.4b-5; Luke 21:1-4)
It has been noted that the poor widow’s offering anticipates
Jesus’. She gives all that she has – “her
whole livelihood” – to God in her contribution to the temple treasury. Jesus will soon offer himself to God on the
cross. Luke records his final words as, “Father,
into your hands I commend my spirit.’”
Occasionally we meet people almost as generous as this
gospel’s poor widow. I worked in a
parish once where the laundry woman would buy my dinner on Saturday evening
after mass. It was not steak from a
fancy restaurant, but it was supererogatory, more than necessary. I was deeply humbled by the generous act
repeated every week. It was not that she
did it for me. I know that she did it
for Christ whom I have the privilege to represent at mass. I was humbled because I would be reluctant to
do it every week for anyone.
In simple ways the gospel widow acts as an apostle. She shows the generosity God expects of us. Her story also demonstrates how God notices our
every good deed.
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