A Tale of Two Widows
Today’s Liturgy of the Word highlights two widows — a widow and her son who are near starvation living north of ancient Israel and a widow in the Jerusalem Temple who donates her last two coins to the Temple treasury. The first woman does not hesitate to offer a meal to Elijah in the spirit of hospitality to a stranger. The second widow does not hesitate to give all she has to support the upkeep of the Temple.
It is stirring to ponder how these women are so generous in their poverty. We stand at a distance to contemplate their generosity as they look beyond themselves. What motivates them to be this way? Perhaps it is their experience of God toward them as described in today’s Psalm (146). It is the Lord God who feeds the hungry, sustains the widow, and raises up those who are bowed down.
Prayerfully spend some time with Psalm 146. Think about how God is toward you with compassion in your vulnerability and weakness. Then think about how you can be toward others in a generous way — like God.