Monday in the 34th Week of Ordinary Time, November 27, 2023

Luke 21, 1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

We can compare Jesus and this widow.  First, we note that she was poor and even voluntarily gave up her “whole livelihood” for God.  The Lord Jesus became poor, willingly giving up his glory with the Father and joining his divinity to a human nature which was susceptible to pain and need.  Second, she was surrounded by the rich who made a big show of their donations.  Jesus, the Son of God in whom is all wisdom and knowledge was surrounded by the pretentious Pharisees who made a show of being well-versed in the Law and the Prophets.  They did all their works “to be seen by men”  made their phylacteries broad and enlarged their fringes (cf. Matthew 23, 5).  Third, she shows much courage in going to the treasury to put in her few coins.  She does not think of the snide comments others were bound to make but is supremely confident even in her destitution.  Likewise, the Lord was known not to respect the stations of other men or to care about anyone’s opinion (cf. Matthew 22, 16).  Fourth, she gives up to God everything by which she could sustain herself.  The Lord likewise holds nothing back in his obedience to the Father but gives himself up to be crucified.  Fifth, she asks for nothing back.  She does not make a loud prayer beseeching God for help or complaining about her poverty.  The Lord Jesus asks nothing from the Father when he gives himself up to death except for the forgiveness of those who crucified him.  Seventh, the widow acted out of love.  She did not act out of fear or out of habit.  She gave all that she had to God simply out of her love for him.  Jesus obeyed the Father out of his infinite love for him.

If a poor widow can be like Jesus in so many ways, so can we all, with the help of his grace, each of us according to the circumstances of our vocations.