Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 27, 2023
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.”
Thirty years ago, my dad did not arrive on time to see me receive a prize during my elementary school’s award ceremony. By the time he got to the school, the party was almost over. He apologized and professed how proud he was of my accomplishment. Looking back now, I still remember that his words of affirmation gave me more satisfaction than the prize.
In the gospel today, we hear Jesus affirm the heroic generosity of a poor widow. What is most intriguing about the story is not that she put into the temple’s treasury all that she had to live on. Rather, it is that, as she quietly makes her donation, Jesus sees, acknowledges, and affirms her. The lesson for us? We should not concern ourselves with whether or not our good deeds go unnoticed by others, for clearly, God sees all and like a loving Father will affirm us in due time. This is worth much more than any earthly prize.
The widow’s faith-filled action also helps Jesus give us a brief teaching on generosity. What Jesus praises is the quality and not the quantity of her giving. Although the woman’s offering is nothing compared to the large sums many rich people were donating, she gave out of her poverty, whereas the rich people gave from their surplus wealth.
May we trust that, like the widow, God sees all our efforts, no matter how little, and will affirm us in our hour of need.
Prayer
Spirit of Love, inspire us to give all we are and all we have to the building of your kingdom. Help us to realize that any abundance we have is not for our own good but for the good of others. May we learn to enter into the spirit of the widow who gave her all so that others might benefit, even in her poverty. Divest us of anything that might slow us in the building of those places where you live and reign. Amen.
Saint of the Day

Despite the city attached to his name, St. Virgil of Salzburg was actually from Ireland—he was a pilgrim on his way to the Holy Land who stopped in Salzburg on his journey and stayed as its bishop.
As abbot of a monastery in Ireland in the eighth century, Virgil was one of the most learned men in Europe (he even gained the sobriquet the “The Geometer” for his knowledge of geometry). Virgil decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and he and his fellow companions sailed to France. Virgil spent two years wandering and traveling throughout Europe but did not get any farther east than Bavaria.
During a stay in Salzburg, Virgil was appointed abbot of a monastery, a role that included administrative duties for the bishop of that diocese. He performed these duties admirably and found himself compelled to accept an appointment as bishop of Salzburg.
Virgil ran into trouble with St. Boniface, who disagreed with some of his decisions and teachings and complained to the pope. These inter-saint disagreements came to nothing, however, and Virgil continued on his tenure as a fantastically effective bishop without further disruption from saint or sinner. Virgil rebuilt the cathedral in Salzburg to become an even larger and grander building than it had been originally and sent missionaries to evangelize the surrounding regions.
Virgil himself traveled to preach the Gospel to new people, as far as Hungary and is known as the Apostle to the Slovenians. When he returned from one such journey, Virgil, unfortunately, fell ill and died on this date, November 27, in 784. Virgil was renowned for his great knowledge and his holiness, and his feast is celebrated both in Ireland and throughout central Europe.
St. Virgil of Salzburg, Irish abbot who left for a Holy Land pilgrimage and found himself bishop of Salzburg—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Virgil of Salzburg is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Modified from the original. Last accessed October 18, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.