A
Reflection on Luke 21:1-4
Have you ever noticed how some people
love to make a big show when they help others? Just like posting videos of their
generosity, why?? They want everyone to see how generous they are, maybe even
get their name on a plaque, or on a building or a special shout-out. Some
people just need that pat on the back with some public praise. But Jesus shows
us something completely different in the story of the widow's offering. While
rich people were dropping their heavy coins into the metal collection boxes, making
loud clanging sounds that got everyone's attention, a poor widow quietly
dropped in two tiny copper coins worth almost nothing. Yet Jesus said she gave
more than everyone else. How could that be? Because God doesn't look at the
dollar amount on our check or count the zeros in our bank account. He looks at
our hearts and sees what our giving actually costs us.
The rich people in the temple that day gave from their wealth, which means
they gave from their extras, their leftovers, the money they wouldn't even
miss. They could go home to full tables, comfortable beds, and secure futures.
Their giving didn't require any sacrifice; it was like skimming foam off the
top of a cup of hot chocolate. They still had all the chocolate underneath. But
here's the hard truth: when we give only what's easy and convenient, when it
doesn't cost us anything or change our lives one bit, we're not really giving
at all. We're just moving money around to make ourselves feel good or look good
to others. These are the people who want applause for doing the bare minimum,
who expect gratitude and recognition for their "generosity" even
though they never went without a single thing they wanted. That's not
generosity, that's spiritual window dressing.
The widow's gift was completely different. Those two small coins were
literally all the money she had to live on. Imagine having just two dollars to
your name, not two dollars extra, but two dollars total, and putting both of
them in the collection plate. That's what she did. She could have kept one coin
for herself, but she gave everything. She went home with empty pockets,
trusting completely in God to take care of her. Nobody was watching her. Nobody
would know what she gave. There was no photographer, no certificate, no
announcement. She gave in secret, from her poverty, from her heart, from her
very life. This is what real Catholic generosity looks like: giving until it
hurts, giving when it costs us something real, giving even when no one will
ever know or thank us. The widow teaches us that true generosity means sharing
not just our money but ourselves, holding nothing back from God and from those
in need.
Why does Jesus praise her so highly? Because she understood something
essential that the rich people missed: everything we have belongs to God
already. The widow knew she was completely dependent on God for everything, so
giving her last two coins wasn't crazy; it was an act of total trust and love.
She gave from her means, not her meanness. She gave from her need, not her
excess. She gave from faith, not from a desire for praise. When we truly love
God and trust Him, we don't calculate how little we can give and still look
respectable. We don't keep score or hold back the "good stuff" for
ourselves. We give lavishly, sacrificially, joyfully, the way God gives to us.
The Catholic Church has always taught that we should have a "preferential
option for the poor," which means putting the needs of the vulnerable, the
forgotten, the struggling ahead of our own comfort and convenience. The widow
shows us this preferential option in action.
So, here's the question Jesus is asking each of us today: Are we more like
the rich people or more like the widow? Do we give from our abundance or from
our heart? Do we skim the top and want applause, or do we give sacrificially
when no one's watching? Real generosity isn't about the amount; it's about the
sacrifice. It's about giving something that actually costs us something, that
makes a difference in how we live, that requires real trust in God's
providence. The next time you're tempted to give just your leftovers or your
spare change, remember the widow. Remember that Jesus was watching her,
delighting in her trust and love. He's watching you too, not to judge you, but
to see your heart. Will you give from your wealth or from your life? Will you
hold back or pour out? The widow challenges us to stop making excuses and start
making sacrifices, to stop seeking recognition and start seeking holiness.
Because in God's economy, the one who gives everything, even if it's just two
small coins, is the richest person in the room.
Here's the challenge: start living like the widow today. Not tomorrow, not
when you have more money or more security, today. Give until it hurts. Give
your last bit of cash to someone who needs it more. Give away your jacket when
someone's cold, your food when someone's hungry, your shoes when someone has
none. Give as much as you can, as often as you can, trusting 100% that
the Lord will take care of you through it all. Yes, it sounds crazy. Yes, it
goes against every practical instinct we have. But that's exactly what faith
looks like, radical trust in a God who has never abandoned His children. Start
small if you need to, but start somewhere. Take one step of crazy generosity and
watch what God does. The life of wild, sacrificial giving doesn't happen
overnight, but it begins with one choice to trust God more than your bank
account. The widow did it. You can too. Will you take the leap?
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
