The Book of Revelation is filled with puzzling symbols. It was written during a time of suffering and persecution of the followers of Jesus and was intended to reassure the faithful of the final triumph of Christ. In the end, God wins! One hundred and forty-four thousand - multiples of 12, the number of the tribes of Israel - is a symbolic number meant to signify wholeness and completeness. God's final plan is all-embracing and perfect. As we try to follow the way of Christ in our daily lives, we can take heart that we are among the faithful.

The poor widow caught the attention of Jesus. He could see her generous heart and her faithful spirit. The widow did not have much, yet she contributed what she had to the Temple treasury. The copper coins that she gave had very little monetary value, but they were of great cost to her and demonstrated her trust in God to provide for her needs. Jesus compared gifts contributed out of abundance with the widow's gift given out of poverty. Jesus introduced a different way of evaluating gifts. It was not the value of the gift that was important but the sacrifice with which it was given. Jesus honored the sacrifice of the poor. God calls on each of us to faithfully give from a generous heart.