Jesus' break with official Judaism is complete when He turns from the religious leaders of His time and calls the attention of His disciples to a poor widow, who would have otherwise gone unnoticed (Mk. 12:43).

The widow had dropped two small coins into the temple treasury and Jesus observes that she has "put in everything she had, her whole living" (Mk. 12:44). To offer something is easy. To give all is most difficult as it threatens our security. The wealthy gave out of their abundance; the poor widow out of her poverty. The wealthy gave from what they could spare; the widow gave up her total security ¡K for God had become her only security. Our piety and display of devotion to God and the saints is no substitute for our total surrender to God which discipleship requires.

The poor widow symbolizes the reversal of the value system which the Reign of God brings about. Trust in God is opposed to trust in self, money and power in religion or politics.

We often make offerings to get something from God but the poor widow teaches us that our giving should be "total" and without strings attached. We offer to God just for making an offering of ourselves to God and not so much as to receive any favours. The angel Raphael, in the first reading, refuses to accept rewards for his services to Tobit; saying that his only preoccupation is to be at God's disposal.