Good afternoon. The two widows from today’s readings teach us an important lesson about the theological virtue of love, or charity, which is to “love God above all things. . . and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC 1822). The Catechism states that “[charity] upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love” (1827). We see this in the stories of the two widows. Like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who “died out of love for us” (1825), the two widows gave everything they had out of faith and trust in God the Father in heaven, that He would take care of them and their needs. In other words, their “human ability to love” is raised to “supernatural perfection of divine love.” Moreover, in the stories of the two widows, we realize that the “fruits of charity [are]. . . joy, peace, and mercy. . .” (CCC 1829).
As we heard from the Second Book of Kings, the widow from Zarephath believed the prophet Elijah when he said to her, “Do not be afraid. . . For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry. . .’” Can you fathom being in her predicament? There is a drought in the land and she is barely scraping by to feed herself and her son. Just listen to what she had to say to Elijah, “I was collecting a few sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” That was how dire her situation was and, yet, she responded to Elijah’s request for a “little cake” with charity. Scripture tells us that “[she] left and did as Elijah had said.” The Lord God rewarded her faithfulness and capacity for love and, in His mercy, He took care of the widow and her son for “[she] was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.” Truly, the “fruits of charity [are]. . . joy, peace, and mercy. . .” (CCC 1829).
Moreover, in today’s Gospel, the widow who “came and put in two small coins worth a few cents” into the treasury believed what Jesus had to say about dependence on God. Recall that in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed, saying: “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. . . Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. . .” Jesus continued, saying: “If God so clothes the grass of the field. . . will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?. . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. . .” Christ wants us to “seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness. . . Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Mt 6:25-34). For this reason, Jesus had this to say to his disciples about the poor widow: “she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."
The poor widow had faith in God and trusted that He would take care of her and her needs in the same way that He took care of the widow and her son in Zarephath in the time of Elijah. Once again, truly, the “fruits of charity [are]. . . joy, peace, and mercy. . .” (CCC 1829). Their faith in God and the trust they had in His divine providence freed them to give generously of themselves for love of God and their neighbor. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said that "no one is so poor that he cannot give something." This, my sisters and brothers in Christ, is the important lesson that we learn from the stories of the two widows. They were poor but they were not so poor that they could not give something - one to the prophet Elijah and the other to the treasury. You see, “each one [of us] has received a gift” from God and He calls us to “use it to serve one another as good stewards of [His] varied grace” (1 Pt 4:10). The widow in Zarephath made Elijah a “little cake” from whatever little flour and oil she had left. The other widow gave “all she had, her whole livelihood” while others contributed from “their surplus wealth.”
We are all stewards of God’s gifts of time, talent, and treasure, which He gives to us abundantly. With the gift of time, we “count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart” (Ps 90:11) because we recognize “that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do well during life” (Ecc 3:12). There is no greater good than to set aside time for love of God and our neighbor out of love of God through the corporal works of mercy. With regards to the gift of talents, God gives to each of us according to our abilities (Mt 25:15). He calls us to use our talents to serve Him by serving others in His Church. When we do, God will bless us even more abundantly (Mt 25:29) because God explores “the mind and test the heart, Giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds” (Jer 17:10). Lastly, with regards to the gift of treasures, Jesus warns us “not [to] store up for yourselves treasures on earth. . . But store up treasures in heaven. . . For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:19-21). That is precisely what the theological virtue of love, or charity, is and, more importantly for us, where the treasure of our hearts should be: to “love God above all things. . . and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC 1822).
We cannot outgive God when it comes to His gifts to us of time, talent, and treasure; however, we can use those same God-given gifts of our time, talent, and treasure to give our all, not our surplus, back to God. As we enter into this blessed season with Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and Christmas next month, we have opportunities to give generously of our time, talents, and treasure and become sharers in our parish’s mission to serve those most in need in our community. Here at Saint Albert the Great, we have the opportunity to give to our neighbors through the Giving Tree or sign up to serve our neighbors at the food pantry or volunteer to serve our neighbors at our annual Feast of Grace. Like the widows, we can all give something. When we do, we experience the “fruits of charity. . . joy, peace, and mercy. . .” (CCC 1829) in our lives.
Gospel (Mk 12:38-44)
In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
