A Homily on Luke 21:1–4: “When Little Becomes More”(24-11-25)

A Deep and Challenging Insight into the Widow’s Sacrifice—Urging Us to Give God Our Best, Not the Rest. (23-11-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

Once in a small mountain village lived two brothers—one wealthy and the other poor. During the annual community feast, the rich brother proudly brought three large baskets of grains, receiving admiration from everyone. The poor brother, after feeding his children, was left with only a handful of rice. Still, he wrapped it carefully in a cloth and placed it quietly among the offerings, unnoticed by the crowd. That night, a sudden storm flooded the storeroom. The rich brother’s large baskets were soaked and spoiled, but the small cloth bundle survived untouched. The next morning the village chief lifted it and said, “This offering may look small, but it has survived the storm. It is worth more than all the others.” In that moment, the villagers realized that the true value of a gift lies not in its size but in the sacrifice behind it.

This image echoes the scene in Luke 21:1–4, when Jesus watches people giving their offerings. The rich contribute from their abundance—gifts impressive in quantity but not in sacrifice. The poor widow places two small copper coins—an offering almost invisible to human eyes, yet radiant in God’s eyes. Jesus declares, “This poor widow has put in more than all the others.” Her “more than” lies not in the amount but in the depth of love, trust, and surrender. Scripture repeatedly affirms this truth: Samuel says, “The Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus praises the woman who anoints Him, saying, “She has done a beautiful thing for me” (Mark 14:6), though the act seemed wasteful to others. St. Paul reminds us that if we “give all we possess to the poor” but lack love, it counts for nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). God weighs the heart, not the external measurement.

The Bible often shows how God transforms the little into abundantly “more.” A boy’s five loaves and two fish become more than enough to feed thousands (John 6:1–14). The widow of Zarephath gives Elijah a small cake, and God makes her jar of flour and jug of oil last through the famine (1 Kings 17:7–16). The mustard seed—smallest of all seeds—becomes “greater than all” garden plants (Matthew 13:31–32). The pattern is clear: Whenever we surrender the little we have, God multiplies it into something far greater.

The saints, too, echo this truth. St. Mother Teresa famously said, “It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” St. Francis de Sales teaches, “Great opportunities to serve God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily.” And St. Thérèse of Lisieux, with her Little Way, reminds us that a small act done with great love is worth more than a great act done without love. The widow’s offering is the perfect example of this “little way of love.”

For families, this Gospel becomes a reminder that daily sacrifices matter deeply to God. It is not the grand achievements but the small, faithful acts that build a home: a parent waking early, a patient word spoken during stress, a child choosing kindness over conflict. These ordinary gestures may seem small, yet in God’s sight they are “more than” enough. They nourish family bonds and transform hearts quietly but powerfully.

For consecrated persons—priests, sisters, and religious—the widow’s “more than” becomes the core of their calling. Their life is not measured by visible accomplishments but by the hidden fidelity of prayer, obedience, charity, and service. The world may overlook these daily offerings, but God treasures them. St. John Vianney once said, “We are worth what we are before God, and nothing more.” The consecrated heart that gives wholly to God, even through fatigue, misunderstanding, or unnoticed service, mirrors the widow’s offering in the purest way.

Ultimately, this passage invites all of us to understand that God does not measure our giving by size but by sincerity. He sees every quiet sacrifice, every hidden prayer, every act of love. Even the smallest offering, when given with trust, becomes great in His eyes. And when we offer our little with love, God whispers the same words He spoke of the widow: “You have given more than you know’. 

 Jesus I offer surrender all to you…

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God Bless…