Monday, November 24, 2025 - Monday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
[Dan 1:1-6, 8-20 and Luke 21:1-4,1127]
When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she. from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." [Luke]
NOVEMBER 24 [St. Ignatius Delgado OP, St. Vincent Liam OP and companions - martyrs in Vietnam]
There are many facets to this scene in the temple during Jesus' final days in Jerusalem. The poor widow's generosity recalls the widow of Zarephath [1 Kings 17:7-16] who gave up her last food to Elijah the prophet. There is the hint at Jesus' own ultimate sacrifice that would take place soon. There is the question of requiring a poor widow to pay the temple tax! And I think of the scene earlier in Luke with the two men who go up to the temple to pray. It is the tax collector who gains Jesus' approval, not the wealthy self-important Pharisee.
Over and over again in the Gospel According to Luke, our attention is directed to the plight of the poor. Pope Leo XIV lost no time in sending a teaching, Dilexi te, on the Christian obligation to care for the poor. Biblical historians have pointed out that the receptacle for receiving donations at the temple was made of metal and shaped like a large trumpet. Since paper money did not exist then, large donations made a big "clang" which would call attention to the donor. The widow's contribution would have barely made a sound. But it was that sound that Jesus noted - that small "clink, clink!"
Ultimate generosity, like that of the Vietnamese martyrs today, comes in many forms. What we can be sure of is that Jesus notices with approval! AMEN
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