THE GIFT THAT COSTS.

Today’s liturgy reveals some important facts about the poor. The poor are blessed because they have a greater recognition of their need for God. The two widows in the first reading (Kings 17:10-16) and in gospel (Mark 12:38-44) give up everything, totally trusting in the goodness of the Lord. What these two widows have in common is their willingness to give all that they have without counting the cost or consequences. The first widow gave her entire supply of food to Prophet Elijah while the second one gave her only small coins, but she gave from her want as Jesus observes. However, the test of any gift is not what it amounts to in itself, but what its loss means to the giver. Our gift must cost us something for it to be valuable. This is not just giving what we can live without, but what we can’t live without, or don’t want to live without. This type of giving hurts, this type of giving is love in action. When the gift is as desperately needed by the giver as by the receiver –that is true giving. This is the only time our gift becomes a sacrifice. The reading shows us this. It is story about two widows. On one level the story in the First Reading makes no sense. Indeed, it seems ridiculous and impossible. That is if we take it in in a literal sense. The widow had not much; all she had left was a handful of meal in a jar. Yet by sharing what she had with the prophet, it never ran out. The point being made here is: it is possible to give without losing. In fact, to give can be a way of gaining. In the Gospel reading, Jesus Christ commended the widow when he said, ‘others had put in what they had to spare; she instead had put in ‘all that she had’ literally taken, the words of Jesus meant; ‘she has put in all her life’ the little she had to live on. Our Lord’s lesson is clear: God does not count what we offer but the love and sacrifice we put in offering. Humility and love bring God to our side right away. The widow in the Gospel story gave her all. She let go of every shred of security and committed herself to God. Hence the story is as much about trust in God as about generousity.