Our Whole Livelihoods

“Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.’”
Mark 12:43-44

Perhaps this passage from the Gospel may be familiar to us. Jesus points out the behaviors of the Scribes, seeking out notoriety and places of honor, and even cheating the widows. From the earliest times widows and orphans were given special places of care in the life of the Church because they were the most vulnerable. The Scribes were usually put in charge of the widows’ estates, which means that they take a share of it, and sometimes an inordinate amount. It is important to note here that Jesus was not saying the Scribes were bad people by nature, rather He was condemning their behaviors.

So what are the behaviors that we as Christians should adapt and imitate? Jesus gives us the example of the poor widow. We are told that the poor widow contributed two small coins that added up to a few cents, the lowest denomination of currency, and that this contribution was greater than the other contributions. The greatness of the contribution is not quantitative but qualitative. The poor widow gave all that she had, or as Jesus said, “her whole livelihood.” While the Lord isn’t asking us to give away all that we have to the point where we do not have money to feed our families, but rather think about and reflect on how it is that we give. Do we give and do acts of charity because we feel superior to those who may benefit from our contributions, or do we do so with a deep sense of gratitude to God for all that he has given to us, and so want to give back to the Him, for whatever we do to the least of His people, we do to Him?

For me, giving from one’s whole livelihood is giving with our whole hearts. Giving while knowing that all that we have is a gift, a gift that we do not deserve, but rather a gift given out of Love. So, to give from one’s whole livelihood is to give with love and out of love, disinterested love, a giving that seeks nothing in return, but only the greater glory of God, which is man fully alive. This widow, although poor, was fully alive because she lived life knowing that she has been blessed beyond all measure.