Sunday 10 November 2024
Thirty second Sunday in Ordinary time - Year B
Small Things
The story of the widow putting her last penny into the collection is one that touches our hearts and connects many of us to our own roots.
It is a fact that most Catholic churches built in this country were paid for by the pennies of the poor. Very few are the result of the generosity of the rich. This is to do with the social background of many Catholics in this country.
A large number of us are descendants of immigrants who came here looking for work when times were hard.
Some people take pride in being from families whose noble history goes back a long way, and it is right and proper for them to honour those in their family who achieved a great deal, especially if they had a concern for those in need.
Many more are aware of having a more ordinary background and the struggles of previous generations just to survive. It is good to take stock of the sacrifices they made for their children and future generations.
As a parish family we give thanks for those who made it possible for us to worship in beautiful and worthy churches and we see our need to give back to those who find it hard to make ends meet.
Today’s Gospel draws our attention to the truth that a person’s contribution to the common good is not measured by how much they gave or even how much they did. It is the commitment of the heart that counts. To be prepared to give till it stretches us shows a special quality of love and a recognition of what truly matters.
There is something else to take from this story.
In the Temple that day it was only Jesus who recognised the true worth of the widow’s contribution. In the reckoning of the world, she made little difference to finances of the Temple; her gift would have been disregarded.
Many people contribute to the lives others, in families, in local communities and in parishes in exactly this way. These moments of kindness happen while the world looks for greatness elsewhere.
Yet without these acts of self-giving we would all be so much poorer.
The Lord spotted the widow and he sees us when we give in these apparently small ways.
A challenge of this Gospel is to encourage us to see as God sees; to honour that which is humble; to notice the ignored.
