Deacon Brigid Waszczak

Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law [scribes]. They devour widows’ houses…” Jesus sat… opposite… where.. offerings were put and watched the crowd putting… money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents… Jesus said, “… this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth… she, out of her poverty, put in… all she… had to live on.”
—Mark 12:38-44

Sisters and Brothers,

When I was very young, I got 50 cents weekly allowance. From that, I was required to put 10 cents into our Sunday church collection.

My parents were teaching generosity, charity, and tithing. (More than tithing… 10% of .50 would have been .05.) I didn’t balk at having to donate since I got to keep 40 cents.

The widow gives all she has. She could have kept one of the two coins, but threw in both! The value of her coins was small—like putting $1 in the collection plate today. Yet Jesus says she gave more than ALL the other donors combined.

The scribes, scripture scholars of Jesus’ day, could not be paid for teaching, but they could receive gifts. Many of them manipulated those who could least afford it, such as widows, into offering monetary gifts.

These same scribes taught that the greatest act one could do was to give money to a teacher. Of course, the very teachers who benefitted taught this! Perhaps they had designs on and devoured widows’ houses?

The value of a gift is determined by what it costs the giver. My 10-cent donation didn’t cost me much; I had money left to spend. This widow’s donation is portrayed as everything she had. Jesus praised how she gave more than how much she gave.

I am not prompted by sad imagery, somber narratives, or crisis appeals to guilt-trip give. The media is replete with these pleas. Such manipulative tactics do not bring out my generosity.

Yet scribe-behavior lives and continues to induce those who can least afford it to give from their poverty. Prosperity Gospel peddlers (modern-day scribes) depend upon such donors. Beware!

Were I down to my last two coins, I don’t think I’d give them both to charity. However, not knowing where my next check will come from isn’t my plight.

At the end of the year (and often during the year), my husband and I list the charities to which we will donate, set a target dollar amount for each, and send it to them.

Even though we take the standard deduction—meaning we don’t get to count the actual donations on our taxes—we believe in generous giving to those in need. That’s a lesson learned at an early age.

May love for God’s children motivate our generous giving.

—Deacon Brigid