Faith in God as Generosity!

Monday, November 27, 2023

Dn 1: 1-6, 8-20; Lk 21:1-4

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes the poor widow an example of faith in God. 

Though the passage is explicitly about the poor widow’s generosity, its implicit meaning is her profound trust in God. 

The poor widow was disadvantaged in two ways. At first, she was poor, and therefore, more often than not, she relied on Divine Providence and the charity of others. Secondly, she was a widow. The only breadwinner in that patriarchal society would have been her husband. With him no more, her survival depended on the mercy of God and others. 

Though her condition is thus miserable, when it comes to her trust in God, she is more generous than others. 

Others give to God from their surplus. Though what they withhold looks like the capital amount, it is deeply about their concern for tomorrow. ‘What will be the source of my livelihood if I part with my money?’ is the kind of question they might be asking. 

Nevertheless, this poor widow, having experienced Divine Providence in abundance, courageously parts with her ‘whole livelihood’ because, unlike others, she knows that God is good, kind, gracious, and generous. 

Even our little actions manifest our faith in God. 

The poor widow is an excellent example!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar