“But she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
luke 21:4
Reflection
Jesus sees wealthy people and a poor woman putting money into the treasury. He says that the widow has put in more money than the rest because she has offered her whole livelihood, not money from her surplus wealth like the others.
The widow offers less money than the wealthy individuals, but in fact contributes more of her wealth than they do. The wealthy people are only giving from the abundance of their wealth, which could be argued is not true “giving spirit.”
Jesus wants us to be generous with our money, time, and talents. When we only give something to the Church when we have an excess amount, we may never give at all, deeming our current amount – of money or other things – not enough to give away. But we can follow the widow’s example and instead give from our livelihood.
God always provides, and he will not let us down when we are generous, especially if we can’t “afford” it. Being generous requires trusting in the Lord and not being greedy with what we have. Ask for the grace to grow in these virtues and reflect on how you can be more generous today.
Saint of the Day
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions: died 1820 – 1862
| “Those who die for the faith attain heaven.” St. Andrew Dung-Lac |
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