32 Sunday in Ordinary Time – B 
1 Kings 17:10-16, Heb 9:24-28, Mk 12:38-44
November 12, 2006
Fr. Carl McCarthy

When I go to a live theatrical performance, an usher typically greets me at the door, hands me a playbill, and assists me to my seat. Once I have settled into my seat, I thumb through the pages of the playbill. After I look at the order of the show, the names of the particular scenes in the show and read about the cast members, I then begin to look at the advertising. Usually, somewhere in the playbill is a list of the theater’s benefactors.

The list of benefactors usually begins with the “Gold” and “Silver” members at the top (those who have given the most money) and the “Friends of the Theater” at bottom (those who have given the least money). In seeing these distinctions, I have thought about the widow in today’s Gospel -- the widow who contributed from her poverty and gave all that she had, her entire livelihood.  She did not give thousands of dollars, but only a couple of pennies, and Jesus placed her not at the bottom of the list, but at the top of the list.

Consistent with his style, Jesus gives us a little trouble with this gospel. He turns us on our heads and asks us to look at life from another direction. Often, those who have more are placed at the top, and those who have less are placed at the bottom. Jesus challenges the disciples’ thinking as he points at the scribes and says, “Look at their long flowing robes. See how they take their places at the top in the synagogue and pray their highly inflated prayers; do not be like them. They give their wealth out of their need to look good and feel good.” Then he points to the widow and says, “Look at her. She gives all that she has; she gives out of her poverty and out of her need to do good.” The widow embraces the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. She sacrifices all that she has and surrenders her very self to God, and Jesus says that she is not far from the Kingdom.   

Whether we are wealthy, middle class or poor, true giving is sacrificial giving. It is not something that we do to make us look good or even feel good.  We do not give to say, “Here I am God, look at me.” We give because in faith we enter into the sacrifice of Jesus and desire to give our lives as he did. In sacrificial giving, we gain a deep joy and a sincere sense of gratitude.

Once a newlywed couple, while driving to their honeymoon, became stranded on an old country road. A terrible rainstorm had flooded the road. Unable to go any further, they got out of their car and started walking towards a dimly lit farmhouse.

When they reached the house, an elderly couple, carrying an oil lamp, came to the door. The couple explained their situation, and the new groom asked if they might stay at the farmhouse for the night – “on the floor, in a chair, anywhere warm and dry,” he asked.

As he asked this favor, the elderly wife noticed a couple of pieces of rice in the bride’s hair. Glancing at each other, the elderly couple told the young couple that they could stay in their home. They elderly couple suggested that the young couple return to their car to retrieve their things, while they freshened up their guestroom.

The next morning the newlyweds got up early and prepared to leave without disturbing the couple who had hosted them for their first night as husband and wife.  They quietly dressed and put a $20 bill on the dresser. When they opened the door from the bedroom to the living room, they found the couple asleep in the chairs. The elderly couple had given to them the only room they had available – their own.

This elderly couple had given out of their need to do good and not out of their wealth. 

Why do we give? Do we give to get our names on the top of the list?  Do we give to be a member of the “Gold” or “Silver” club?   Or do we give of our resources, our God- given time, talent and treasure, because we desire to truly help others?  What does it feel like when we put our tithe in the collection basket? What does it feel like to give our time to another person? What does it feel like when we give of our ministry at Church?  What does it feel like to give that sack of groceries to the needy?  Are we honestly thinking that our gift will help make the world a better place? Giving is the heart of discipleship.  We will never know what it feels like to give until we really give from a heartfelt desire to do good.