THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(I Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44)
Today’s readings strike a chord in our hearts. We always
feel for widows. The first and third readings today present us with widows who
call us not only to sympathy, but also to admiration and imitation.
Although the widow of Zarephath is not an Israelite, she
recognizes Elijah as God’s prophet. For this reason she also accepts his
request for bread as a divine command that cannot be ignored. She prepares it
for him and in return is blessed. Elijah’s prophecy that her jar will never run
out of flour and her vessel will never run out of oil will be fulfilled.
In the gospel we meet Jesus in the Temple area. He has just definitively
separated himself from the Jewish leadership although not from Jews. The
Pharisees and Sadducees have shown themselves to be arrogant and opportunistic
willing to exploit even widows. At least in the eyes of the evangelist Mark,
they are not worthy of leading the people to God.
A widow catches Jesus' attention. Her donation to the
Temple, even if it is the smallest one among the people present, shows true
faith. The contributions of the rich may be praiseworthy if their motives are
just. In any case, the two coins
deposited by the widow in the treasury deserve more praise. She could have saved
one for her own living needs, but she prefers to give everything she has for
the glory of God.
One may ask: is her donation prudent? We can answer “yes”
because prudence dictates what is most correct and beneficial in a given
situation. It is presumed that the widow has a motive for making such a costly gift.
It may be to ask God's forgiveness for her dead husband. It is also presumed
that she has other means to survive. Perhaps she will ask help from neighbors
or continue working despite being infirm.
Jesus takes advantage of the widow's offering to once again teach
his disciples. As is his custom he takes them aside. Then he tells them of the great sacrifice she
is making. This sacrifice serves as a prototype for his own since he will soon
give up his life as a redemptive sacrifice for the people. The widow’s donation
also serves as a lesson in discipleship. Because his disciples must bear their
own crosses in following Jesus, self-giving is also prototypical of discipleship.
We should ask ourselves if it is necessary for us to give
everything for the glory of God. The correct answer is, again, “yes,” but
always with discernment. When we provide for our families as well as for the
poor, we are glorifying God. Even when we use some resources for personal
edification, it can glorify God. However, when we use them for sinful or
selfish motives, we cannot claim that they serve either God or others.
It is almost always the poor who point us to the way of
Jesus Christ. Not all, but some appreciate more than most of us that it is Christ
who humbled himself to share our mortal state and raise us to salvation. They recognize
that in the end it is he, not us and much less the powerful, that we must always
strive to please. Sometimes it is the poor who teach us how to live truly well.
