If the essence of Christianity is in loving, the essence of loving is in giving. Therefore, if we cannot be Christians without loving, we cannot be Christians without giving. The lesson for today focuses on the widow’s mite, as it is traditionally called.
Three lessons about giving. First, the widow gave quietly. Unlike the wealthy people in the temple, she gave quietly, without fanfare, without attracting any attention. That quiet giving has become so extraordinary because we are a people who love attention.
Second, the widow gave cheerfully. She gave cheerfully, without grumbling, without expecting anything in return, without complaining. She gave cheerfully without sighing and saying, “Now I am left with nothing.” She did not even attempt to dramatize it. She gave quietly and she gave cheerfully.
The third adverb about the giving of the widow is that it was total. The poor person is not the one who gives nothing. The poor person is the one who keeps everything. That is not a blessed giving. It is not a blessed poverty when we keep everything. At the sunset of life, according to St. John of the Cross, we will be judged according to how much we love. It is not how much we give, but how much we keep that will determine our generosity.
Today, the Lord will give us Himself as an example again. Today let us keep on giving quietly, silently without fanfare, cheerfully with a smile, without any grudge, and totally, without counting the cost.
GIVING
Lk. 21:1-4
Love Like Jesus
