One night in a small town, a stormy rain stranded a newlywed couple on a remote country road. Unable to go any farther, they got out of their car and walked towards a dimly lit farmhouse.

When they reached the house, an elderly couple, carrying a kerosene lamp, met them at the door. Explaining their predicament, the young man asked: "Could we spend the night with you? A place on the floor or a few easy chairs will do."

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The elderly couple saw a few grains of rice on the young lady's hair and understood their predicament.

"Why surely, children," said the elderly woman. "We just happen to have a spare bedroom. You get your things from the car while my husband and I freshen it up a bit."

Then they led them up to the room. The next morning the newly weds got up early and prepared to leave without disturbing their host. They dressed quietly, put a hundred peso bill on the dresser, and tiptoed down the stairs.

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When they opened the door to the living room, they were aghast at what they saw. The old couple were asleep in the chairs. They'd given the newlyweds their only bedroom.

The heartwarming story is a modern illustration of the poor widow in the gospel of this 32nd Sunday of the year. Like the poor widow, the elderly couple gave not from their surplus but from the only resource they had.

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In the gospel, Christ praises the poor widow who drops only two small copper coins in the temple treasury, unlike the others who "put in their surplus money" (Mk 12:43).

Although she was very poor, she put her last money – "all she had to live on."

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The first lesson we can learn from the gospel is you don’t have to be wealthy in order to give to charity or help people. The example of the poor widow poignantly illustrates this. There are those who say, “I’ll give when I become rich or win the lotto” or “when I receive my retirement pension.”

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The question is, what if you won’t become rich at all or win the lotto? Does it mean you won’t do acts of charity anymore?

Our work of love, which is the basic requirement of a true Christian, ought to be unconditional. Rich or poor, we’re called to practice charity motivated by Christ’s teaching.

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The second lesson the Lord teaches is that our giving is more meaningful and meritorious when it is accompanied by some pain or sacrifice.

The rich in the gospel did not have this. They gave away only what was extra or disposable. There are some people, for instance, who give away used items on Christmas to indigents or calamity victims. That’s fine.

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But some of the items donated are practically useless or unusable. The shoes have holes and the clothes are like rags – smelling of “underarm alarms!” Common sense tells us that such giving defeats the spirit of charity and insults the recipients.

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STRINGS ATTACHED? When we donate money for charity, what's our real motive?

Is it because we want our names, our family's or company's names publicized? Do we donate to charity only because it is "tax deductible?" Do we give gifts to our boss because we want something in return like a salary raise or promotion?

If such be our motive, then our giving is self-serving; it has strings attached. Christ teaches, "When you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it as the hypocrites do" (Mt 6:2).

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It’s been said that there are three kinds of givers: GRUDGE givers, DUTY givers, and LOVE givers.

Grudge givers give but do it grudgingly or reluctantly. Duty givers give with a sense of obligation.

Love givers give because they want to. They do it freely and joyfully motivated by love or compassion. What kind of giver are you?

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FAMILY TV MASS — is aired by the SVD Mission Communications Foundation, Inc. (MCFI) on IBC-13 at 9-10 a.m. every Sunday.

Sunday sponsor: Garden of the Divine Word at Christ the King Seminary Compound, QC. Celebrant: Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD.

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APPEAL. Due to the economic crisis, the production cost of our TV Mass has considerably increased. Please help us continue to bring the Holy Mass especially to the sick, handicapped and elderly through donations and sponsorship.

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For inquiries, call MCFI at Christ the King Seminary, QC (cf. tel. directory) or e-mail: belsvd@yahoo.com.