Readings: 1 Kgs 17:10-16; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44
In the first reading and in the Gospel, we hear about widows who are filled with both faith and charity. In the first reading we hear about the widow from Zarephath, a pagan woman to whom God sent His Prophet because she had faith. When Elijah came to the city and saw the woman, she quickly demonstrated the depth of both her faith and her generosity. When Elijah asked for some water, the woman was quick to respond, but when he asked for a bit of bread to be brought to him, the woman replied that she had only a handful of flour and a little oil that she was going to use to feed herself and her son; when it was gone, they would die.
Elijah acknowledged the woman’s concern, but replied that the LORD, God of Israel, says the jar of flour would not go empty nor will the jug of oil run dry until rain fell upon the earth. She believed and acted on that faith. She gave the last of what she had to Elijah, then he, the woman, and her son were able to eat for a year as the flour and oil were miraculously replenished.
The widow in the Gospel placed a couple small coins in the treasury, a mere pittance compared to the wealthy people who were putting larger sums of money into the treasury. Although objectively it was small, the Lord told His disciples that this woman put in more than all the other contributors to the Temple treasury because she gave all she had while the others gave of their surplus wealth.
The generosity of these women is immense and it is all built upon the solid foundation of their deep faith and love for God. The woman in the Gospel is to be commended, but the woman from the first reading is truly amazing because she was not Jewish. Jesus even pointed out that Elijah was not sent to any of the many widows in Israel; rather he was sent to a pagan woman because she had greater faith and charity than any of the widows in Israel.
This brings us to the second reading where St. Paul speaks about our Lord’s sacrifice. As amazing as these two widows are in their generosity, giving up the very sustenance of their lives, Jesus literally gave everything, not just that which sustained His life, but He gave His life. In the examples of the two widows, both gave what they had to God and for God. Jesus does the same but, like the widow from Zarephath who also gave what she had to Elijah, Jesus gives Himself to us and for us.
The widow from Zarephath gave what she had so Elijah could live. She was rewarded for her faith and charity by being given an extension of her own life as well as the life of her son. She was spared from death because of her goodness. Jesus gave Himself so we could be spared from death. However, as we know, it is not a natural death from which we are spared, but eternal death.
In doing this our Lord was more like the widow from the Gospel. Other than what Jesus said about her to His disciples, there is no indication that she received anything from what she gave. The widow of Zarephath received much for her charity, but the widow who put the copper coins into the treasury was not expecting anything in return for herself. Of course, she knew God would never be outdone in generosity, so we can assume she received much, both spiritually and materially, because of her goodness. However, it is clear from our Lord’s remarks that she was not looking for anything.
The offering Jesus made was not a monetary offering that went into the treasury. His offering was the treasure and it was in the Temple – (and it was the Temple itself)! This offering did not take place in the temple in Jerusalem, a copy of the true Temple in Heaven. St. Paul tells us Jesus entered the sanctuary that is in Heaven. Jesus entered into that holy place as our High Priest with His own Blood to make atonement for our sins. Unlike the High Priests of old, He did not need to offer anything for His own sins because He was sinless. So, His offering was only for us.
Jesus did not do this to gain anything for Himself, because He gains nothing. We need to be profoundly grateful because we are the only ones who gain from His offering. Like the widow in the Gospel, Jesus did not give from His surplus; He gave all He had to take away sin and bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.
