Generosity Comes from the Heart

11-07-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

The first reading and the gospel presents us with the generosity of two destitute widows who gave all they had based on their trust in the living God and His prophet. The widow in the first reading relies on the word of the Prophet Elijah and acted without doubt when she was asked to sacrifice the last part of what she and her son had to eat. The readings teach us that to be generous does not depend on how much we have, but how our heart is open to give. For us to appreciate these two widows we need to understand the condition of widows in the time of the Prophet Elijah and that of Jesus. During this time in Israel, women generally had no voice or status in society. They derived their status from their husbands. The only status they get is from their husbands, so when a woman lost her husband it seems like her world has ended as she loses her position, identity, status and voice in the society.

It is supposed to be the moral responsibilities of these scribes to act as agents to defend them and give them protection, but not only do they neglect this responsibility, some even exploit them. According to Living liturgy, “widows often found themselves destitute victims of fraud at the hands of the unscrupulous, whom they may have trusted, scribes included.” The man to protect her is gone and her only hope for security and protection is now placed in God. It is against this background we can not appreciate the sacrifices of these widows made when they gave all they had to live on. Therefore, the readings teach us five cardinal points about generosity.

  1. To be generous, one does not need to be rich. What one needs is the heart that gives, because real generosity comes from the heart. When the heart is moved to give, the amount or the quantity, it does not matter, what matters most is the heart with which it is given.
  2. True generosity does not impoverish but enriches the giver. We do not need to be afraid to give because true generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person more. Generosity expands the soul. We can never outmatch God in generosity. He has given us the best of gifts by sending us his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ who offered up His life for us on the cross.
  3. Real giving hurts. Any real giving must cost us something and it is there that the blessing is received. The widow in the first reading gives out the last jar of oil and flour that her life and that of her son depended on, but God made it that it never dried up or finished. We need to give without counting the cost as Jesus Our Lord sacrificed His whole life for us.
  4. The greatest enemy of generosity is greed. The desire to accumulate and hoard for ourselves alone. The excessive desire for personal gain and security.
  5. The greatest gift you can give is good will. Some can give from abundance, but lack the good will to support you. In as much one can give physical cash, the good should be paramount in our exercise of generosity.
  6. The final point we get especially from the Gospel is that God sees the heart of each person. When I was a little boy, my mom would always tell me, “Tony always behave well because even if I don’t see you, God sees you.” The story of the widow in the gospel of today demonstrates very well this message that God sees the inner heart and actions of everyone. Let us, be like the widows we encounter in today’s reading; open our heart to the spirit of generosity.

Happy Sunday to you all.

Fr. Tony Okolo

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