“And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.”

In today's Gospel, we find Jesus seated in the temple precincts. Most likely, He is near the Court of Women, close by the Gate of the Beautiful, where He can see the treasury. Outside, the moneychangers are clamoring for business, but in the cool inner reaches, it is quieter. As the worshippers pass inside, they drop their offerings into one of 13 large receptacles called The Trumpets because of their shape. Each Trumpet is designated for a different purpose; for example, to buy wine or oil for temple rituals and sacrifices. The coins roll, clink, clatter and clang all the way down the elongated tubes, the noise signaling to all within earshot the generosity of the giver. Or so it would seem.

Many rich people put in large sums, but the humble widow put in two mites, the smallest Roman coin, no bigger than a dime and worth about two cents. The disciples might not be impressed, but Jesus is. He tells them that the other worshipers had given out of their abundance while the widow had given out of her need.

Talk about hard times - - the widow had no 401 (k), no pension, no Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid to fall back on. All she had to offer was her poverty. She may have been embarrassed at the size of her offering and hoped no one would take notice. But Jesus saw and was moved by her sacrifice.

The widow didn’t know Jesus was watching and He didn't add to her discomfit by going up to her. But, the muffled plink of her two small coins has echoed down through the ages to inspire countless millions to acts of generosity.

Two small coins. Two shining examples of the fact that it is not the size of the gift but the size of the sacrifice that counts. The widow's offering has become a symbol of what one selfless, faith-filled person can do.

I remember when I served on our parish stewardship committee, someone proposed that we give worshipers the option to have their weekly contribution automatically withdrawn from their bank account.

“That’s fine,” our senior member said, “so long as they also put something in the offertory basket during Mass; otherwise, their failure to contribute could scandalize those seated next to them. You never know who is watching.”

Today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus is watching. He’s waiting to see how generous we are.

As George Mueller once said, "God judges what we give by what we keep."