Dear Friends,
None of us would have faulted the woman in today’s Gospel if
she held onto her two coins. None of us would have faulted the woman in the
first reading had she told Elijah to get lost as he asked her for food. Yet
each gave with dignity and trust. They each intuited these times as graced
moments, opportunities to place God above all things in their lives. We know
nothing more about the Gospel widow. We do know that for the widow of Zarephath,
the oil and flour never ran out.
Today’s Scriptures are not just stories of generous widows.
These stories tell us about the big-hearted attitudes of people.
Jesus doesn’t endorse the widow’s action. He doesn’t say “Go
and do likewise.” What Jesus does is to call attention to her attitude of
generosity and trust and in doing so, invites his listeners to give without
measuring the cost.
Generosity is complex. How do I determine how much to share
– when – why – with whom? How does one create in oneself an attitude of generosity
– a non-clutching, other-centered style of living? We are not sure whether to
give to the panhandler, pick up the hitchhiker, believe the story of
destitution and the crocodile tears. Over the years, I’ve “been had” by
professional needy people. Maybe you have, too.
There’s an irony in the story of the woman who gave two
coins. Later, the temple she supported with her pennies would be destroyed in a
war. Was her gift in vain? Is our gift in vain if the receiver misuses it, or
the object of our giving is destroyed? No. Even in times of exploitation, what
matters most for our personal and spiritual growth is the largeness of spirit
that goes on within the exploited person.
There is no neat, tidy formula or answers to detailed
questions about generosity. But I do know this: each of us has a head and a heart,
an intuition or a hunch. Each of us carries the Gospel within us. If we rub our
experiences against the Gospel enough, the rubbing can generate sparks to see
by, and by which to act.
One contemporary story of generosity comes to mind. Last
year, a single mother I know with two young children found life challenging given
a recent divorce and the stress of the pandemic. In previous years, the family
had supported a needy family at Christmastime.
This year, the organizers suggested that, due to her new
circumstances, the mother might not want to take part in the program.
“Absolutely not,” the mother replied. “I want my children to learn that Christmas
is not just about us being taken care of. We’ll cut back somewhere. But we will
adopt a family this year.”
For those of us who try to hear the Word of God and keep it,
the generosity of the widows in today’s readings are a reminder and a promise:
- a reminder that what we have is not ours to
covet or hoard, and
- a promise that in some unspeakable way, the good
we have and are will not run out in the sharing.
~Sister Joan Sobala
