The widow gives everything she has to live off of that day.

Contrast this with the others who simply give out of their surplus.

We should not measure the gifts we give by size or amount, but by the sacrifice they entail.

Jesus is teaching us everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;

and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48)

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20*

(...) As Daniel was resolved

Not to make himself unclean with the king's food or wine, he begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement. By the grace of God, the chief eunuch had been sympathetic to Daniel. But he was afraid of the king, so he said, "If the king, who has allotted your food and drink, sees that you look more emaciated than the other young men of your age, he might think ill of me. It will put my life in danger to give in to your wish."

 

 

Daniel then turned to the steward whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink, and see how we look in comparison with the young men who eat food from the king's table. Then treat us in accordance with what you see."

 

The steward agreed and tested them for ten days, at the end of which, they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate the king's food. So the steward continued to give them vegetables instead of the choice food and wine.

To these four youths God gave wisdom and proficiency in literature, and to Daniel the gift of interpreting visions and dreams.

 

At the end of the period set by the king for the youths' training, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them and found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four became members of the king's court. In any matter of wisdom and discernment about which the king consulted, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

 

 

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Glory and praise for ever!

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊      

Luke 21:1-4

Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"They put all of that at risk by remaining faithful to their beliefs."

Once again Scripture presents us with unexpected heroes: a poor widow who gives all she has and three young men who risk their status and their safety to remain faithful to God's covenant. The role models in Scripture are not the rich and the powerful, but those who, despite their humility and challenges, remain faithful to the Lord.

 

The three young men in the Book of Daniel are especially inspiring for us today. These young men are offered a comfortable life and the hope of status, power, and wealth in the royal court. But they put all of that at risk by remaining faithful to their beliefs instead of accommodating themselves to the Babylonian culture.

 

Young people today remind me of these young men. They are idealistic and committed, ready to put themselves on the line for their beliefs. Their energy and dedication can inspire the rest of us to take action to make our world better by taking action. May we make these young people welcome in our churches and help them live what they believe.