Both the rich and the widow fulfill their religious duty by making a donation for the upkeep of the temple. The gold and silver coins of the first one will be enough to maintain the temple for a long time. A poor widow puts in “almost nothing.” Yet it is her gesture, and not others, that Jesus praises. They put as much into the treasury as required by the law. Perhaps in this way they were an example for the pious, and a guilty conscience for those who neglected their religious duties. She put in one penny. So little that you might not even notice it in the treasury.
This event teaches us, above all, that God doesn’t ignore the gifts that man gives Him. Even though they do not add anything to Him and don’t change anything in Him. Through our prayers and sacrifices, God does not become richer, stronger or happier. Nevertheless, He allows us to offer something to Himself. And this is a sign of His love: to love also means to accept a gift from a loved one. Love tells us to give, but love also teaches us to take. God looks at the heart of the giver. He is happy with our prayers, sacrifices, participation in the Holy Mass on Sunday, our sacrifice, when it all flows out of love for Him, when it is a sign of devotion, trust and heartfelt remembrance.
Therefore, let us be careful not to perceive what we offer to God in terms of a “religious obligation.” Let us defend ourselves against the callousness that offends Him. Let us defend ourselves against piety without love for God, because it saddens Him.