Meditations On The Gospel Of Luke For The FamilySample

"MEDITATION 12:Two widows"

Two widows. Two poor widows. In both cases, Jesus fixes his attention on women whose names we do not even know. Beside their marital status, they share the same condition of poverty. For the widow from Nain, her son’s death means the loss of the resources to lead a decent life. We know the hard economic and social conditions in which a woman was left after the death of her husband. Even if there was an inheritance, she was not only dependent on the husband’s family, but could also be prey to the greed of teachers of the Law, who normally acted as legal advisors and could take advantage of the situation (20:47). As for our widow, she is a peculiar case in the Gospel. Normally, when Jesus performs a miracle, there is a strong emphasis on the factor of “faith” on the part of the characters. We are accustomed to the phrase: “Your faith has saved/healed you… made you well,” but today the widow does not ask for a miracle, nor does she pray for help or comfort. It is not the first time in which the evangelist describes the spontaneous reaction of Jesus, “moved with compassion” or “filled with pity,” followed by his taking the first step to relieve distress by performing a sign of God’s saving activity. The Kingdom has arrived: the sick are cured, the dead come back to life, and those who weep are comforted. (See the immediate passage: 7:18-23.)
As for the other widow, she represents the basic attitude of confidence of the “poor of Yahweh,” those whose only hope is the Lord, those in whom Jesus’ words from the Beatitudes are fulfilled: “Blessed are you who are poor; for the Kingdom of God is yours” (6:20). Or, in a more precise way, even if she may not express her feelings, Jesus’ words describe precisely her attitude: “Do not worry
… your Father knows that you need [these things]” (Luke 12:29-30. (You will understand much better Jesus’ position concerning riches, or money in more modest terms, if you read the whole section: 12:22-34.)
The two widows, then, should make us reflect and consider to what extent we trust in Jesus’ mercy, in what ways we approach moments or situations of loss, the insecurity we feel when facing the death of a loved one (our own death), or the anxiety provoked by the shaky economic times in which we live. “Give us this day our daily bread…” could be a good response to all these, and other like situations.

Rev. Fr. Mariano Perrón, Roman Catholic priest, Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain