Reflections Today         The death of a husband in a patriarchal society like Israel usually means social and economic tragedy, as well as a form of cultural death. In the case of a widow left with small children, with no one standing for her legal rights, she is in an extremely vulnerable economic situation. Hence, the widow is frequently placed alongside orphans and landless immigrants, representatives of the poorest of the poor (cf Jb 24:4; Is 10:2). In the Gospel, Jesus presents a widow not as a helpless person but as a protagonist. Measuring the worth of her offering in terms of the sacrifice involved, Jesus points out that she has given the most. She gives without counting the cost, placing her trust in the goodness of God who raises the lowly and gives every good thing to the hungry (cf Lk 1:52-53). Gospel • LUKE 21:1-4 When Jesus looked up He saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2019,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.