The first reading that we heard from the First Book of Kings is one of forty-five prediction-fulfillment stories sprinkled throughout the First and Second Book of Kings. These stories are told about the various people who encounter Elijah and Elisha, both prophets of the God of Israel. The purpose of the stories is to underline or highlight the notion that if God is faithful in fulfilling promises made through the prophets to Gentiles, he will surely be faithful in fulfilling the promises made to Israel.
The Gentile in this story is the widow of Zarephath. She is relegated by her culture to the status of a non-entity. The Hebrew word for “widow” means “the voiceless one.” Because she has no man to provide for her, she is left to struggle in destitution. Her need is exacerbated by a drought. While it may seem that God provides for her because of her generosity to the prophet, she is not seeking a reward for her hospitality nor is she rewarded for it. She is hospitable to the prophet because hospitality is demanded of her by her culture. To ignore the needs of a stranger would be unthinkable. God rewards her by fulfilling the promise made by Elijah; however, the reward is not so much earned as it is proof of God’s fidelity.
The Gospel gives us yet another example of generosity through the story of a Jewish widow. Jesus is not so much praising the widow for her contribution as he is condemning those who have dictated that she must make this offering in order to enter the Temple. Again, like the widow of Zarephath, this is an expectation that has been placed on her by the culture and the Jewish elders. She does this even though it will mean that she may not have enough to feed herself or her family.
These readings are used to teach the true nature of generosity. People usually give out of their abundance for various reasons. Some may give out of a sense of genuine generosity. Others give out of a sense of guilt or to satisfy a debt they may feel when faced with the disparity that exists between the rich and the poor. Others give for tax purposes realizing that sharing some of their excess will actually improve their financial situation. Finally, we all tend to give open-handedly to those we love, and we do this regardless of whether we have adequate resources or not.
The generosity depicted in the readings for today is a different kind of giving. It is religiously inspired, and it comes from those who have the least material possessions to give. This kind of giving requires that we reach deep into ourselves, that we almost strip ourselves of our hold on life, and that we do this for religious reasons. This giving, pictured in today’s readings is nothing less than heroic generosity. The two widows and, through the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus himself are held up to us as examples of heroic generosity. The intent of the sacred writer is to instill in us a desire to emulate such heroic virtue.
I have experienced this kind of virtue personally. I used to teach at Hales Franciscan High School, an all-boys, Catholic school whose population was entirely African American. At one point, we thought we were going to have to close the school and gathered the boys in the gymnasium to make the announcement. Each teacher was carefully stationed at various points in the school to be available to the students after the announcement. I was asked to be plainly visible in the basement corridor near my classroom. As I neared the door, the students caught sight of me and came running to me. One of them anxiously reported, “Father, I have already called my mother. She said you could come to live with us.” You see, the friars lived on the top floor of the school. The students presumed that since the school was closing, we friars would find ourselves and our belongings out on the street, something that was all too common in their neighborhoods. So they were more concerned about where I would live instead of where they would go to school. Thankfully, the school is still open these many years later, still struggling, but still providing an education for poor, African-American boys because of the generosity of some donors.
Generosity of this kind is its own reward. God will not be outdone in generosity. The truly generous do not look for reward. They carry out their responsibilities and place the rest in God’s hands.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator